Franklin families have until Friday, Oct. 2, to tell the Franklin Special School District how it should spend state education dollars.

The district is collecting public feedback on two documents that guide its use of Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) funding: student-achievement goals adopted in September 2023 and the 2026-29 Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan, according to an announcement on the district's website. The LEA Plan lays out annual goals, strategies and financial allocations for the next three school years.

The Tennessee Department of Education requires districts to seek public input on both documents.

Residents can submit comments by email to [email protected] before the Friday deadline.

How TISA funding works

TISA replaced Tennessee's old school-funding formula after Gov. Bill Lee signed the law in May 2022. The formula sends the same base amount for every public school student in the state, then adds weighted dollars for low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities, according to the Tennessee Department of Education. Statewide, TISA directs more than $9 billion in education funding, with an additional $1 billion in recurring state investment added since the 2023-24 school year.

The achievement goals FSSD adopted in 2023 set benchmarks the district uses to measure whether that money is working. The LEA Plan spells out how the district plans to meet those benchmarks over the next three years. The full text of neither document was publicly accessible on the district's website as of Monday, Sept. 28.

FSSD's track record

The district earned an "Advancing" accountability designation from the state for the 2023-24 school year, according to its most recent annual report. FSSD ranked in the top 10% of Tennessee's 146 school systems on overall TCAP achievement that year. Students outperformed the state average by double digits in every tested subject: 55.9% proficiency in English language arts, 55.7% in math, 63.9% in science and 58.5% in social studies.

The feedback process falls under Director of Schools David Snowden, who leads the district's academic and budget planning.

The deadline is Friday.

Districts statewide must file their TISA Accountability Reports with the Tennessee Department of Education by Nov. 1.