As federal policy threatens to further underfund students from low-income backgrounds, the state plans to study ways to fix how it identifies economically disadvantaged students.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, HB 2485/SB 2375 unanimously passed the Tennessee Senate; it now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. The bipartisan bill directs the Tennessee Investment in Achievement (TISA) review committee to study how we identify students from low-income backgrounds and recommend improvements to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026.
Tennessee currently identifies students from low-income backgrounds using SNAP and TANF, but the state’s current method undercounts many of them. Recent federal policy changes may worsen the undercounting of students experiencing poverty as millions of Americans are losing access to public assistance, masking the financial realities many students experience and limiting the state’s ability to channel resources to school districts that need them most.
It is vital that Tennessee reevaluates how it identifies economically disadvantaged students, and the passage of this bill is a critical step toward ensuring no student goes uncounted.
“What began as a research report has become legislation supported by community voices across Tennessee. We are grateful for the advocates, school leaders, Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education members, sponsors and lawmakers who championed this work.” said Alexza Barajas Clark, Executive Director at EdTrust-Tennessee. “Schools across Tennessee strive to support all students, yet students from low-income backgrounds often lack the essentials for successful learning, such as healthy meals, counselors, and enough great teachers. By studying this topic and recognizing the full spectrum of student need, we are one step closer to understanding and providing the resources needed to open access and opportunity for all students and communities to thrive.”
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