Shelby County Schools (SCS) announced Monday morning that the district will be filing a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee for failing to “equitably and adequately fund public school education for all students.”
An email sent to media on Monday morning said the SCS board believes the funding the state currently provides isn’t equal to the actual cost of educating the district’s students.
The district has been considering filing such a lawsuit for several months, and in February, the board voted to look into filing a suit. SCS will join seven other Tennessee school districts that are also suing the state. SCS claims the state owes them $103 million.
“Our students deserve fair treatment – access to a quality education and a fair opportunity to lead a successful life,” said SCS board chair Teresa Jones. “However, we have had to constantly cut resources, lay off needed staff members, and remove programs that can help our students remain competitive. In a time when academic and career standards are increasing, our students need more resources.”
