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SB0342 • 2026

Local Education Agencies

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to school boards.

Education Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Lowe, Davis
Last action
2025-03-19
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the impact of these changes on voter turnout or election costs.

School Board Elections

This bill changes Tennessee's school board election process so that all members run for election at the same time starting from 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes when school board elections happen to make them all on the same day after 2027.
  • Sets two-year terms for new board members elected in or after January 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • School boards and their members across Tennessee.

Terms To Know

staggered terms
When different people on a group like a school board have different end dates for their jobs.
election
A vote where people choose who will be in charge of something, like a school board.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens to existing terms before the changes start.
  • It is unclear how this change might affect voter turnout or election costs.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

  2. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in s/c Education Administration Subcommittee of Education Committee

  3. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  4. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  5. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  6. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  7. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  8. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  9. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  10. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  11. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires
board
s
of education
to be
elected by the people.
For the first election of such boards, in
order to establish staggered terms of office,
present law requires
the members from even-numbered districts
to
be elected for a term of two years, and the members of odd-numbered districts
to
be elected for four y
ears.

Beginning with the election for board of education members held in 2028,
this bill requires
all members of the board of education
to
be elected at the same election. In order to align the terms of the members, the members elected in the first elect
ion occurring on or after January 1, 2026, are elected to two-year terms.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 416
By Davis

SENATE BILL 342
By Lowe

SB0342
001438
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to school boards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-2-201(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(8) Beginning with the election for board of education members held in 2028, all
members of the board of education must be elected at the same election. In order to
align the terms of the members, the members elected in the first election occurring on or
after January 1, 2026, are elected to two-year terms.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.