Michelle Childs, Lakeland’s legislative liaison, told the board at its April business meeting that several state bills could affect the district’s programs and staffing, and she raised concern that funding for special‑education preschool remains unlikely this legislative session.

"It's almost a totally unfunded mandate," Childs said of the bill to fund special‑education preschool students (SB679 / HB401), noting the measure was placed behind the budget and is unlikely to advance without a funding source. Childs said Lakeland currently pays about $600,000 annually from its K–12 budget to cover special‑education pre‑K services because the state does not fund those students.

Childs gave a succinct status update on a slate of bills: a proposed increase in elementary physical activity (SB158 / HB85) that would move from the current 130 minutes per week to 40 minutes per day for elementary students; HB1199, which would require local education agencies to adopt a policy allowing at least one junior or senior non‑voting student member on school boards; and SB16 / HB25, legislation that adjusts Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) transfer rules to allow transfers with certain academic, social or health reasons without sitting out a year. She also summarized HB675 / SB415, an omnibus bill that lost momentum and was ultimately placed behind the budget as a study item, and SB1020 / HB1162, a charter bill amendment limiting new cross‑boundary approvals to districts established after Jan. 1, 2014.

Childs said one bill she and the district had been tracking was SB1311 / HB1323, which she described as a win for career and technical education and staffing flexibility. "It already passed the Senate," she said, and the House passed the bill during the session she watched; the bill would create a pathway for occupational professionals to obtain temporary or renewed licenses to teach CTE courses if a licensed teacher cannot be found.

Why it matters: District leaders said they have long advocated for state funding for special‑education pre‑K, and Childs warned that without state support, smaller districts like Lakeland face significant budget pressure. "It was still a choice, right? They still chose not to to fund this," a board member said during discussion, citing the district’s need to cover those costs from existing funds.

Other business: Childs reported that many education committees and subcommittees had adjourned as legislators rushed to complete business before Easter, and she cautioned that bills placed "behind the budget" frequently do not advance. Board members asked clarifying questions about the CTE/licensure bill numbers (SB1311, HB1323) and recognized the potential local benefit for filling specialized teaching positions.

The legislative update was presented during the reports section of the April business meeting; board members took no formal vote on the bills themselves but recorded the update for the district’s legislative tracking.