Student enrollment down for Campbell County Schools

A drop in enrollment also causes a drop in student funding provided to the district

By Charlotte Underwood

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- According to a report from Director of Schools Jennifer Fields at last week’s BOE meeting, as a district, enrollment is down by 114 students. A drop in enrollment also causes a drop in student funding provided to the district.

“We know our base amount is $7,295, that is the base amount (of funds provided to the school per student), some students generate additional funding beyond that. So, we are looking at a loss of funding, a significant reduction in funding for the upcoming school year,” Director Felds said.

From the end of the 2024-2025 school year to the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the district shows a distinct drop. The “district ended the 2024-2025 school year with 4,755 student ADM.” At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, district enrollment is 4,704.

“This reflects 338 withdrawals, and 287 new enrollments,” Director Fields said.

Director Fields shared a printout with board members comparing numbers of enrollment from last year to this year.

She also shared another concern about funding, though not directly related to enrollment.

“One of our tests that we use to score students in an area that generates funding has been re-normed, so we are losing funding in some of the student identification unique learner needs and we are looking at decline in enrollment, which is also going to affect funding,” Director Fields said.

Board member Brandon Johnson pointed out that when the voucher system was implemented by the state, school districts were “told that the threshold of funding they received would not go lower or decrease no matter how much enrollment was lost to the voucher program”.

“Is that going to be applicable this school year?” Johnson asked.

BOE attorney Dail Cantrell provided an answer saying that while that was supposed to be the case and the intent, he didn’t think “anyone anticipated the severity of federal funding that was going to be pulled.”

“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is still applicable law, and you have to provide these Special Education Services (SPED), but they are pulling $61 million dollars from the state of Tennessee for SPED services that you are now going to have to make up in your budget. In Anderson County, that is roughly $2.1 million that we now are short this school year…So your federal money lost will be greater than $61 million, it is just $61 million for your Special Education component, I think it is closer to $150 million that will be dispersed equally, so that is going to far offset, I will estimate that you all will be short close to $3 million come next year, unless for some reason the state of Tennessee decides to up the TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) funding to make up for what you are losing federally, I don’t see any way that is going to occur,” Cantrell said.

Director Fields said “another thing to consider with funding” was that this was the last year of the state mandated teacher equalization raise.

“We had to provide that raise, which was over a million dollars, so, there is that, too,” Director Fields said.

She said she would keep BOE members updated about enrolment changes. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/15/2025-6AM)