NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A local lawmaker’s proposal to eliminate some state class size limits died in a state House subcommittee this week after it cleared the Senate earlier this month.
House Bill 809, the House companion to Sen. Jon Lundberg’s Senate Bill 197, was rejected by the K-12 Subcommittee on Tuesday.
While the original bill would have eliminated state limits on class sizes and class size averages, Lundberg amended the bill to only do away with average class size requirements. The amended bill was passed by the Senate on March 6.
“The purpose of the bill is to return some freedom and flexibility to our local school districts by giving the school boards the ability to set their maximum class sizes,” Rep. Debra Moody (R-Covington), sponsor of the House bill, said during Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing.
Some subcommittee members and a Tennessee Education Association lobbyist voiced concern about the potential impact on class sizes.
The legislation ultimately failed in a voice vote by the subcommittee.
