HB1849 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 49, relative to elected superintendents of schools.

Education Elections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Butler, Hensley
Last action: 2026-02-17
Official status: Taken off notice for cal. in Education Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not explicitly state what happens if a local legislative body fails to vote on establishing an elected position.

Act to Allow Elected School Superintendents

This bill allows counties and cities in Tennessee to establish an elected position for a school superintendent through a vote of their local legislative body.

What This Bill Does

Allows county or city governments to establish the office of elected superintendent of schools by majority vote.
Requires the state board of education to set minimum qualifications for superintendents, including a teaching license with principal endorsement, a master's degree, and five years of experience in both teaching and administration.
Ensures that an appointed director’s contract is honored if a county or city decides to transition to an elected superintendent before their term ends.

Who It Names or Affects

County and municipal legislative bodies in Tennessee
Local school boards

Terms To Know

superintendent: The person responsible for managing a school district.
legislative body: A group of elected officials who make decisions and pass laws for their community.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how many counties or cities will choose to establish the office of elected superintendent.
The bill does not specify what happens if a local legislative body fails to vote on establishing an elected position.

Bill History

2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal. in Education Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Education Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/10/2026
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Education Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes school boards to
appoint directors of schools.

This bill
authorizes
a county or municipality operating a school system
to
establish the office of elected superintendent of schools by a majority vote of the membership of the county or municipal legislative body.
This bill provides for preserving contractual obligations owed to a director of schools in a jurisdiction that established the office of elected superintendent.

This bill requires the
state board of education
to
establish minimum requirements for a license of qualification for a superintendent, which must include, at a minimum, the following:

(
1
) The applicant must hold a teacher's professional license with endorsement as principal or supervisor of instruction;

(
2)
The applicant must hold a master's degree; and

(
3
) The applicant must have at least five years' experience to include both teaching and administrative experience.

Generally, an elected superintendent will have the same
rights, duties,
and
powers
as an
appointed director of schools
.

An elected superintendent of schools
must b
e
e
lected in the general election in August and serve a term of four years.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1719
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 1849
By Butler
HB1849
010339
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and
Title 49, relative to elected superintendents of
schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-203(a)(13)(A), is amended by
deleting the language "Notwithstanding any other public or private act to the contrary" and
substituting instead the language "Unless a county or municipal legislative body has voted to
establish the office of elected superintendent of schools pursuant to § 49-2-301(f)".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-301(a), is amended by deleting
the word "Each" and substituting instead the language "Except as provided in subsection (f),
each".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-301, is amended by adding the
following new subsections:
(f)
(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or chapter 535 of the Public Acts of
1992 to the contrary, a county or municipality operating a school system may
establish the office of elected superintendent of schools by a majority vote of the
membership of the county or municipal legislative body.
(2)
(A) If the office of elected superintendent of schools is
established, then the contractual term of an appointed director of schools
must not be abridged by the establishment. If a county or municipality
chooses to conduct an election before the expiration of an incumbent

- 2 - 010339

director's contract, then it is the responsibility of the county or municipal
legislative body to satisfy any contractual obligation to the incumbent
director of schools.
(B) A local board of education shall not appoint or extend the
contract or term of a director of schools after the county or municipality
establishes the office of elected superintendent of schools, but may
appoint a qualified person to serve as acting director until the office of
superintendent of schools is filled by the voters.
(3)
(A) The state board of education shall establish minimum
requirements for a license of qualification for a superintendent, which
must include, at a minimum, the following:
(i) The applicant must hold a teacher's professional
license with endorsement as principal or supervisor of instruction;
(ii) The applicant must hold a master's degree; and
(iii) The applicant must have at least five (5) years'
experience to include both teaching and administrative
experience.
(g) All rights, duties, or powers granted to an appointed director of schools,
unless otherwise provided in this title, are the rights, duties, or powers of an elected
superintendent for the LEA of a county or city that establishes the office of elected
superintendent of schools under subsection (f), and all references to an appointed
director of schools are references to an elected superintendent.
(h) An elected superintendent of schools is elected in the general election in
August and serves a term of four (4) years.

- 3 - 010339

SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.