TennesseeTennessee districts and public charter schools must report school finances
Tennessee public school districts and public charter schools must submit yearly budget and spending reports, which the education department must make publicly available.
What it does
Public school districts and public charter schools must submit reports by August 1 each year showing the upcoming school year’s budget plans and the previous school year’s spending.
Tennessee’s education department must publicly post these reports for at least two consecutive school years, alongside state funding, required local funding, and school debt.
Argument forPosting school budgets, spending, and debts together could help families see how schools use money and compare their financial choices.
Argument againstSeparating spending by funding source and tracking future grants and reimbursements could take school staff time away from other work.
More detail
Public school districts and public charter schools must send annual reports to Tennessee’s education department and the comptroller’s research and education accountability office. Reports cover adopted budgets, expected revenue, and spending across school operations, including teaching, staff pay, and student support. State forms must separate revenue and spending by funding source and whether the money comes regularly or only once. Reports must list grants and reimbursements received, including whether schools can and plan to seek them for the upcoming school year. The education department must set reporting standards and procedures and provide help. It can do this through policies without formal rulemaking. Reporting requirements took effect October 1, 2026. Policies could be developed and adopted when the law became law.
Tennessee’s education department must post each district’s and public charter school’s reports on the state’s school report card. The state report card must also show state school funding, the required local contribution, and each district’s or charter school’s total debt. Reports must remain posted for at least two consecutive school years. Debt totals must identify each debt’s type, length, and purpose, including borrowing undertaken on a school’s behalf. These requirements took effect October 1, 2026. Debt totals reflect the last school day of the school year covered.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 26Pub. Ch. 1007Latest
- May 26Effective date(s) 05/19/2026, 10/01/2026
- May 19Signed by Governor Bill Lee.Became Law
- May 7Transmitted to Governor for his action.To Governor
- May 5Signed by Senate SpeakerMajor
- Apr 30Signed by H. SpeakerMajor
- Apr 28Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.Minor
- Apr 22Received from House, Passed on First ConsiderationMinor
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/22/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 22Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.Major
- Apr 22Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0599)
- Apr 22Passed Senate, Ayes 25, Nays 6Passed Senate
- Apr 21H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0636)Major
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 2 BY JOHNSON PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026 Failed. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Failed to adopt am (Amendment 2 - HA1215), Ayes 21, Nays 70, PNV 0
- Apr 21Passed H., as am., Ayes 86, Nays 4, PNV 0Passed House
- Apr 21Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.Minor
- Apr 20
- Vote recorded HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026 4/16/2026. Result: fail.Lower
- Apr 16H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
- Apr 15Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026
- Vote recorded HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/15/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/15/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 15Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means CommitteeMinor
- Apr 15Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026
- Apr 15Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules CommitteeMinor
- Apr 15Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026
- Apr 8Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
- Mar 18Placed behind the budget
- Mar 17Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Mar 11Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
- Mar 10Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 3/10/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 10Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means SubcommitteeMinor
- Mar 4Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
- Mar 3Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE K-12 SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee 3/3/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 25Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
- Feb 24Ref. to Education CommitteeMinor
- Feb 24Assigned to s/c K-12 SubcommitteeMinor
- Feb 5P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
- Feb 4Intro., P1C.Minor
- Feb 2Filed for introductionIntroduced
EducationGovernment & Ethics