Rutherford County School Board Passes Resolution Urging 'Closure of the Nation's Borders'

Posted 11:21 AM, July 26, 2025 and last updated 11:22 AM, July 26, 2025

Written by: Katerine Gerasimenko, TN Firefly

Editor's Note: This story has been updated from its original version to include the latest developments.

The Rutherford County Schools (RCS) Board of Education has passed a resolution urging state leaders to “expedite the closure of the nation's borders,” citing the significant financial strain caused by a rapidly growing English learner (EL) population.

According to the resolution, the district has experienced a 140 percent increase in its English as a Second Language (ESL) student population over the last decade. The document notes that the number of ESL students grew from 6,214 in May 2023 to 8,373 in the current school year, a surge that has required the creation of dozens of new positions within the ESL program.

The resolution states that this growth has “placed a considerable financial strain on our local revenue, primarily derived from our taxpayers.” It also formally asks the federal government to provide additional funding for Title III programs, which are designed to support the services that school systems are federally required to provide to ESL students.

During the board meeting, the resolution was framed as a plea for financial assistance.

“All this does really is just identify a problem to bring it before our state delegation and our governor to advocate on our behalf, for not just Rutherford County, but really to advocate for the entire state of Tennessee, because we need more federal dollars,” said board member Frances Rosales.

Board member Tammy Sharp was the only member to vote against the resolution, arguing that the issue was outside the school board's purview.

“This should be addressed at the federal level,” Sharp said. “We are on the local level and we don't have any authority over our General Assembly, and we don't have any authority over our federal reps... This is going to send a message to our children, and not a good one.”

The resolution passed without further discussion. The full text of the resolution is available on the Rutherford County Schools website.