Grundy County School Board Rolls Back Controversial Denial of Teacher Bonuses

Image of dollar bills and the Grundy County Schools logo (Photo by Pixabay/Pexels)

Grundy County teachers may get their $2,300 bonus after all, but it will come a year late. Tuesday night, the county’s school board unanimously voted to reverse an earlier decision and accept state funding for the bonus.

Lawmakers included the funding in the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, approved earlier this year, that allows families to use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school. Under the legislation, school districts needed to pass a resolution accepting the funding by June 1, 2025.

Grundy County Schools became the only district in the state to say no to the money in May, when board members voted 6 to 3 against accepting it.

Criticism from the TEA

Tanya Coats (Photo by the TEA)

The decision quickly brought criticism from teachers and the Tennessee Education Association (TEA).

The association was a fierce critic of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, sometimes referred to as vouchers, but supported the bonus.

“While the bonus was clearly a tactic to ensure passage of controversial legislation, accepting the funds did not require endorsement of vouchers or agreement with state policy. It merely required the district to serve as a pass-through for funds earmarked specifically for teachers who worked directly with students in the 2024–25 school year,” said TEA President Tanya T. Coats in a statement to the Tennessee Firefly. “This decision undermines educator morale and sends a troubling message about the value of those who serve our students every day.”

Bonus Funding Still in Question

Tuesday’s decision doesn’t completely guarantee Grundy County educators will receive the bonus.

Because the June 1 deadline has passed, legislation will be needed to provide the district with state funding. Tuesday night, board chair Phyllis Lusk and Director of Schools Dr. Clint Durley said they’ve received a commitment from State Senator Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, to file the necessary legislation next year.

“On behalf of the school district, I would like to express a heartfelt thank you for continuing to contact Senator Bowling. You didn’t have to. You elected to do so,” said Durley.

If lawmakers approve Senator Bowling’s bill, Grundy County teachers would still receive their bonus roughly a year after the teachers in other school districts receive theirs.

Questions Remain About Initial Decision

Linda Broom (Photo by Grundy County Schools)

Grundy County School Board members did not provide a public reason for their initial decision to deny the bonuses in May or on Tuesday night.

Board Member Linda Broom expressed her reasons privately in a recorded video conversation with a resident on his porch last week. In that video, Broom expressed concern that children will leave district schools under the Education Freedom Scholarship. She additionally said teachers deserve the bonus, but worries the district may have to pay the state back.

“I’m telling you it’s not free money,” said Broom in the video. “We will pay this money back.”

Another board member, David Dickerson, chose to resign his seat before Tuesday’s meeting, according to a report from News Channel 9.  Dickerson was among the six board members who voted to reject the bonuses.

Teacher Ashton Brown was among those expressing frustration with the entire chain of events on Tuesday. She told board members that teachers deserve a public explanation.

“I still feel like there’s not been accountability for why the decision was made the first time with some of the members,” said Brown. “I’ve not been teaching that long, but this is a lot of mess for no reason, and people are having to come up with ideas in their mind of why things happened the way they did.”