Putnam School Leaders Discuss TISA With Commissioner Schwinn

State Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn made four stops in the Upper Cumberland Friday to discuss the new school funding formula at a local level.

Schwinn began the day at York Institution and traveled to the Putnam County Central Office to meet with administrators.

Director of Schools Corby King asked about the future maintenance of effort and local school funding. Schwinn said the end of the hold harmless period that has many systems concerned was designed for systems that lost enrollment.

“What we have committed is saying we will make them whole under TISA whatever they got the prior and then kind of go down 25 percent,” Schwinn said. “That’s only for four districts. Everybody else does not see a local increase projected for like 10 years.”

King, Mayor Randy Porter, school board members and school administrators talked with Schwinn for about an hour. Salaries, teacher shortages and growth of education were main topics.

The worker shortage issue in Putnam County was a topic important to Mayor Randy Porter. Schwinn said the state is trying to answer the high turnover rate and create a pipeline of teachers.

“Part of that is generational,” Schwinn said. “The pandemic didn’t necessarily help us with that, because lots of companies are offering work from home. That is part of it. The salaries is also a big part of that. From the state’s perspective, I think that we see it two fold. There is getting people into the pipeline, but then there is also retention. What we’ve seen is if you stay for 4-5 years, you are more likely to stay for an extended period of time. We have a very high turnover rate in those first two or three. We are trying to pinpoint what are the years we have to really target and focus support.”

Reporting of the additional money coming to schools another point discussed by administrators. Schwinn said that the rules of the funding will guide school systems. Schwinn said funding each year would come out in October.

Schwinn later on visited with Smithville Elementary School and Jackson County Middle School.