County Commissioner Seeks Non-Binding Vote to Oppose Governor’s Proposed School Voucher Legislation (View Video Here)

November 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

After failing to take up the measure twice earlier this year, the county commission will again be asked to adopt a non-binding resolution in opposition to Governor Bill Lee’s “Education Freedom Act” voucher plan when it meets in regular monthly session Monday night, December 2 in the history room of the county complex. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Earlier this month Governor Lee announced that his school voucher proposal would be refiled for 2025. The bill has been the topic of discussion between lawmakers since it was originally filed last year. The next session of the Tennessee General Assembly is set to convene January 14. In April Governor Lee announced that the issue was dead for this year as the two chambers admitted they couldn’t agree on a path forward. Tennessee House and Senate Republicans had vastly different visions for how to implement school choice, but ultimately couldn’t meet in the middle.

Also in April the county commission was scheduled to discuss and act on a resolution in opposition to the “Education Freedom Act” voucher plan. Although it was on the meeting agenda under new business, the commission voted 10-3 to remove it from consideration. The previous month (March), the commission failed to take up the resolution for a vote. Seventh district commissioner Beth Pafford made a motion to add the issue to the agenda for consideration under new business but during a roll call vote it failed to receive the votes needed.

Commissioner Pafford has renewed her request for the county commission to take a stand in opposition to the governor’s voucher plan. The issue was raised during Monday night’s monthly committee meeting of the whole.

Commissioner Glynn Merriman said this is a matter the school board should be taking up and not the county commission.

“There are cities, county commissions, and school boards across the state that have passed versions of this,” said Commissioner Pafford.

“I totally disagree with this. I think the money should follow the children,” said Commissioner Merriman.

Commissioner Pafford gave her reasons for bringing this up again.

“Nothing has fundamentally changed about the proposed plan. It is still universal vouchers. They do have $10,000 for students and families making 300% at the; poverty line or below which for a family of four if you are making $70,000 or $90,000 you could take advantage of that while the other half of the vouchers are for anyone,” explained Commissioner Pafford.

“The one change the governor has added is funding for new school construction which is fantastic. We know we need help. It is a huge amount of money that counties have to expend and little rural counties like ours don’t have the tax base that bigger counties do. My recommendation would be to do that outside of a voucher bill because that would be beneficial to counties,” said Pafford.

“I think its important to remember that public schools came to be because there was a belief that every kid should have an opportunity to learn and not just the privileged and well connected because that’s how education worked back then but there was a decision made that the whole community benefitted when all kids had access to education. It was not designed to subsidize the private schools that were already in operation”.

“I am not here to say that I don’t ever support using money. My goal is to help as many kids learn as possible and that is a huge, huge task. If it was easy we would have a plan that worked for everybody all the time but its hard. These are people and they all have different needs and we work really hard to meet those needs. When there are instances where there is a demonstrated need that a kid would benefit from services at one school that the public school can’t provide I don’t have a problem with that but this doesn’t have anything to do with that. This is not about academic needs. It is not about financial needs. Its about funding private schools and the states that have implemented universal vouchers have seen their private schools begin overtime to require that their parents apply for the vouchers to pay and they take up most of the money. And there is a transportation issue. There are a whole lot of pieces that go into going to school that the universal vouchers does not take care of,” Pafford explained.

“Private schools have interviews and you can come if you meet their values and standards but if you don’t you are not welcome. It specifically says in the plan that IEPs are not guaranteed that so those students are automatically out. Kentucky, Nebraska, and Colorado this last election cycle all voted against a ballot measure to institute universal vouchers. We don’t get to do that. Our legislators have to put that on the ballot. The people don’t have the power to do that. One way we can use our voice to say this is not a plan we support is to do it through a resolution and that is why I am proposing this again,” she said.

“TISA is the new funding formula in Tennessee. Its not BEP anymore. The goal was to supposedly make it better but there are a lot of concerns about how much money is actually going to be coming to our county to support the operation of schools especially a couple of years from now. They are still figuring everything out. I have also heard that they have created a new definition for the way they determine if students are economically disadvantaged. Right now you get more money for more kids who are economically disadvantaged. Also the new funding source that the governor has said they have for new construction is from sports betting revenues. They have been taking in money for that since 2021. That money goes into a lottery for education program which funds all kinds of things, after school programs, the two year associate’s degree, the HOPE scholarship, college for students with special needs, and for veterans to have scholarships. Where are the cuts going to be so they can use that 80% toward school construction,” asked Pafford.

“Again, I am all for the construction but I don’t want to take away from other good programs that have gone on in the state to do that. Also when money goes to private schools they are not held to the same accountability that public schools are and public schools should be held accountable for student learning. Private schools will not be held to that. They did say they will have to take a national test. Our public school students are required to take TCAP. My questions would be will their third graders be held back if they do not meet expectations on the reading portion of the tests and will they be required to have tutoring in fourth grade and will the fourth graders be checked for adequate growth. Will they be required to have tutoring every day when they move to fifth grade if they don’t show the adequate growth. In my opinion tax payer money should be tracked and there should be some accountability there,” said Commissioner Pafford.

The proposed non-binding resolution opposing Governor Lee’s “Education Freedom Act” to be considered by the county commission Monday night is as follows:

Whereas, the Tennessee Constitution, Article XI, Section 12, says the legislature “shall provide for the maintenance, support, and eligibility standards of a system of free public schools” and

Whereas, this constitutional guarantee is heavily reliant on adequate funding to equip schools with necessary resources to serve the various needs of Tennessee’s public school students; and

Whereas, the DeKalb County Commission is charged with funding schools so that in DeKalb County schools, regardless of background, needs, or ability, all students receive the best possible educational opportunities; and

Whereas, DeKalb County Schools are the cornerstones of our community, serving every eligible DeKalb County student who wishes to enroll, including over 2,800 student (39% from economically disadvantaged backgrounds) and employing over 450 people; and

Whereas, to provide a free and appropriate education for all, public schools need all available state funding in order to continue to improve and without necessitating an increased burden on local taxpayers, reducing services for students, or weakening the capacity of the public education system to serve all students effectively, and

Whereas, more than five decades after introduction, vouchers remain controversial, unpopular, and unproven; and

Whereas, public schools are transparent due to open meetings records laws, and state-mandated academic and financial standards, unlike private schools that do not follow state accountability standards, make budgets public, or adhere to open meetings records laws; and

Whereas, all educational institutions receiving public funds should have the same accountability and performance reporting expectations so that the public may understand the use and efficacy of those public funds; and

Whereas, DeKalb County Schools offer a wide range of specialized programs including special education services, career and technical education training aligned with local workforce needs, arts programs, after school programs, and much more; and

Whereas, vouchers give choices to private schools, not to students’ parents, since private schools decide whether they will accept vouchers, which students they want to admit, and what reasons they might use to dismiss students; and

Whereas, the proposed bill lacks sufficient oversight accountability, and transparency mechanisms, raising concerns about misuse of public funds; and,

Whereas, the DeKalb County Commission believes public funds should be directed to public schools for the betterment of the student population and community overall;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the DeKalb County Commission urges the Tennessee General Assembly to consider the effects that Education Savings Accounts will have on local school districts and to instead seek ways to support and strengthen public schools throughout the state”.

November 29, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County Clerk’s Office has just received a new updated self-service driver license kiosk from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security replacing an older model which had been in the office for several years. The new kiosk is located inside the county clerk’s office. The outside kiosk is only for renewal of vehicle registrations and not for driver license renewals.

“Local residents can use the self-service kiosk to complete many Driver Services transactions including renewing or replacing a duplicate Driver License or ID Card, changing an address, updating emergency contact information, advancing a Teen/Graduated Driver License, paying reinstatement fees, and requesting a license reissue after reinstatement requirements are met. The new kiosk can take photos and process payments with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a credit or debit card,” said DeKalb County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss.

(View a video demonstration of how to use the kiosk by County Clerk Poss)

Self-Service Kiosk Instructions

Driver Services Transactions Available at Self-Service Kiosks

Renew Driver License or Photo ID
In order to renew your Driver License, REAL ID or photo ID, you will need either your driver license number, photo ID number, or social security number. After logging in, select the renewal option and follow the prompts on the screen to renew your license or photo ID.

Duplicate (Replacement) License or Photo ID
To replace your license or photo ID, you will need either your driver license number, identification number, or social security number. If the expiration date is less than 1 year, then you have the option to renew. After logging in, you must select a duplicate transaction or the renewal option, if eligible.

Address Change
To process an address change on your license or photo ID, you will need either your driver license number, identification number, or social security number. If the expiration date is less than 1 year, then you have the option to renew. After logging in, you must select the duplicate transaction or the renewal (if eligible) option.

Advance to a GDL Intermediate Unrestricted License
To advance to a Graduated Driver License, you must be 17 years old and have held your Intermediate Restricted License for one (1) year without any violations. You will need either your driver license number, identification number, or social security number. If you are under age 18, select “Upgrade” to go from Intermediate Restricted (IR) to Intermediate Unrestricted (IU), if you have held your current credential for more than one (1) year without any violations. If you are over age 18, select “Graduate to Class D.”

Pay Reinstatement Fees
If you are on a Reinstatement Payment Plan, you must visit a Reinstatement Center. Any payments processed at the Self-Service Kiosk will not be applied to the Reinstatement Payment Plan.

To pay Reinstatement Fees on the Self-Service Kiosk you will need to enter either your driver license number, identification number, or social security number. When prompted, select “Pay Reinstatement Fee.”

After completing reinstatement requirements and paying all applicable fees, reissuance of a new license is required. Additional documentation may be required for reissuance. You must see a Driver License Examiner to complete your transaction.

Request a REAL ID
Some drivers may be eligible to exchange their current Driver License, Photo ID, or permit for a REAL ID. To check to see if you are eligible you will need your Driver License number, identification number, or social security number. If you are not eligible you must provide additional documentation at a Driver Services Center. Click here for more on REAL ID document requirements.

Note: Commercial Driver License (CDL), Temporary Licenses/Photo ID (X-Series) or, Non-Expiring Licenses (Permanent ID, Code 30) transactions cannot be processed on the self-service kiosks.

Beginning in August, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) unveiled new Driver Licenses and ID cards with a fresh design and improved security features along with new self-service kiosks, which can reduce wait times at Driver Service Centers. The new credentials and kiosks will expand to all Driver Service Centers over the next few months.

The new Driver Licenses and ID cards prominently feature a stylized version of Tennessee’s historic State Capitol and state flag with its iconic three-stars representing the state’s three grand divisions. The new design features waves and patterns printed in very fine lines that are not able to be scanned or easily reproduced.

The new credentials are made with a sturdy poly-carbonate composition, incorporate cutting edge security and printing techniques. This includes elaborate overlapping of data and graphics and laser engraved elements that will show if the document has been altered or is fraudulent. A machine-readable barcode with applicable class, endorsements, and restrictions are printed on the back of the card. A mini ghost image repeated from the photograph is encoded elements for automated validation to help reduce identity theft.

“The new Tennessee Driver Licenses incorporate the latest technology which makes them more difficult to counterfeit, alter, or duplicate,” said TDOSHS Commissioner Jeff Long. “These countermeasures help prevent theft and fraud and help keep your identity safe.”

There is no need for citizens to obtain a new Driver License or ID with the new design before their existing license or ID expires. Driver Licenses and ID cards with the old design will be in use alongside the new cards. Previously issued Driver Licenses are valid until the expiration date listed on the card. Individuals do not need to replace their current Driver License or ID card unless their current credential has reached its expiration or a required change is needed, such as a name or address change.

The new design will apply to all credentials issued by the TDOSHS including Regular Driver Licenses, Teen/Graduated Driver Licenses, Commercial Driver Licenses, Motorcycle License, ID Only License, REAL IDs, and Handgun Carry Permits.

“We are excited about the added flexibility and convenience the new self-service kiosks will provide for Tennesseans,” said Commissioner Long. “Citizens can complete many Driver Services transactions at one of these new kiosks, which will help reduce wait times at Driver Services Centers.”

For more information on Tennessee Driver Services including the new self-service kiosks and Driver Licenses and ID cards visit tn.gov/safety/driver-services.html.

November 28, 2024
By: Dwayne Page

A record breaker!

A large group of caring people from the community gave up part of their Thanksgiving Day to see that hundreds of their needy friends and neighbors had a hot delicious meal on this special holiday.

In what has become an annual tradition on Thanksgiving, the DeKalb Emergency Services Association (DESA) and volunteers gathered together early Thursday morning at the kitchen of the county complex to do some cooking for others in the community who might not otherwise have had a hot delicious meal for Thanksgiving.

This year’s meal consisted of turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, roll, and a homemade dessert.

According to DESA spokesperson Blake Cantrell, 1,035 meals were delivered Thursday morning at stops throughout DeKalb County, which is more than ever.

“We don’t ever know for sure until Thanksgiving morning how many volunteers will turn out, but we have been blessed and in awe of the community’s effort in this and how many people have come out,” said Cantrell.

“If others would like to support this financially you can go to Wilson Bank & Trust to make a donation or to the DeKalb ESA website to access the Pay Pal link there. We buy the majority of the food for the meals we prepare including the turkeys and hams. We also take Thanksgiving donations for desserts,” said Cantrell.

DESA will be conducting another meal delivery on Tuesday, December 24 in time for Christmas and all those who received meals on Thanksgiving will be on the list for that event”.

To get your name on the delivery list for December 24 call 615-464-0575 or 615-712-4286 or visit www.dekalbesa.com/meal.

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