Education

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how many schools will apply for grants or the exact criteria beyond demonstrated need and alignment with workforce development goals.

Career and Technical Education Curriculum Fund Act

This bill establishes a fund to provide grants for digital career and technical education curricula in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a special fund called the Career and Technical Education Curriculum Fund with $5 million from the general fund each year.
• Requires the Department of Education to manage this fund and give out grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools for digital career and technical education curricula.
• Sets rules for applying for these grants, including deadlines and criteria like need, impact on students, and alignment with workforce development goals.
• Needs LEAs and public charter schools that receive grants to report back about how they use the money and if it helps their programs.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local educational agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
• Public charter schools in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Career and Technical Education Curriculum Fund

A special fund created by the bill to provide grants for digital career and technical education curricula.

Local educational agencies (LEAs)

School districts or other local organizations that manage public schools in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the fund runs out of money.
• It is unclear how many LEAs and charter schools will apply for and receive grants from this fund.
• The effectiveness of the program depends on how well LEAs and public charter schools use the funds to improve their career and technical education.

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the department of education ("department") to administer the career and technical education curriculum fund ("fund"),
with an annual recurring appropriation of $5 million from the general fund, to provide grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools for the acquisition, retention, or expansion of digital career and technical education curricula
t
hrough platforms that contain comprehensive courses with lesson plans, media-rich content and activities, and interactive assessments.

This bill requires the department to establish procedures for LEAs and public charter schools to apply for such grants.
The procedures must include, but are not limited to, all of the following:



Application requirements and deadlines to apply for grants.



Criteria for awarding grants, which allow the department to consider factors such as the LEA's or public charter school's demonstrated need, the potential impact on students, and alignment with workforce development goals.



Reporting requirements for LEAs and public charter schools that receive grants to ensure accountability and measure program effectiveness.

This bill
provides that any unencumbered moneys and any unexpended balance of the fund remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the general fund, but must be carried forward until expended in accordance with this bill. Moneys in the fund must not be
d
iverted to the general fund or any other public fund.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 138
By Haston

SENATE BILL 612
By Massey

SB0612
000406
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9 and
Title 49, relative to establishing a fund for career
and technical education supports.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 11, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:
(a) There is established a special fund to be known as the career and technical
education curriculum fund, hereinafter referred to as the fund.
(b) It is the general assembly's intent that the fund consists of an annual
recurring appropriation of five million dollars ($5,000,000) from the general fund.
(c) Moneys in the fund must be used exclusively to provide grants to LEAs and
public charter schools for the acquisition, retention, or expansion of digital career and
technical education curricula through platforms that contain comprehensive courses with
lesson plans, media rich content and activities, and interactive assessments.
(d) The department of education shall administer the fund and establish
procedures for LEAs and public charter schools to apply for grants awarded pursuant to
this section. The procedures must include, but are not limited to:
(1) Application requirements and deadlines to apply for grants;
(2) Criteria for awarding grants, which allow the department to consider
factors such as the LEA's or public charter school's demonstrated need, the
potential impact on students, and alignment with workforce development goals;
and

- 2 - 000406

(3) Reporting requirements for LEAs and public charter schools that
receive grants to ensure accountability and measure program effectiveness.
(e) Any unencumbered moneys and any unexpended balance of the fund
remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the general fund, but must be
carried forward until expended in accordance with this section. Moneys in the fund shall
not be diverted to the general fund or any other public fund.
SECTION 2. This act is not an appropriation of funds, and funds must not be obligated
or expended pursuant to this act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general
appropriations act.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.