A word from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) on how the meaning of words makes a difference for public school kids.
Earlier this year, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill that would change the state’s definition of students who are economically disadvantaged. The bill proposed adding TennCare (Medicaid) participation as a factor in determining which students are designated as “economically disadvantaged.” Tennessee’s definition of this demographic, which was changed in 2016, is one of the most restrictive in the country: it currently counts students whose families are actively enrolled in SNAP and TANF in addition to other categorical factors, such as students experiencing homelessness or part of the foster care system. A major reason this definition is considered so strict is due to the low income threshold for qualifying for SNAP compared to other states – Tennessee’s income limit is 130% of the federal poverty guidelines, while many other states have enacted policies that effectively increase this threshold, with some states up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Adding in TennCare enrollment data, as the bill proposed, would result in a state definition of “economically disadvantaged” that much more accurately captured the socioeconomic reality and lived experiences of students and families. The implications of this definition became prominent when the number of students considered economically disadvantaged became directly tied to public school funding with the passage of TISA in 2022.
Despite bipartisan support, the state did not allocate funding for the costs associated with the definition change if the bill had passed. However, the bill was amended to task the TISA review committee to study Tennessee’s definition of economically disadvantaged, analyze how the state’s definition compares to that of other states, assess the impact on public schools, and make recommendations by November 2027. While not a full realization of the original bill, the amended version, which passed nearly unanimously in the state House of Representatives and Senate, demonstrates positive forward momentum and a shared commitment to addressing this issue.
