Amends TCA Title 49.

Present law provides that the dollar value of the BEP instructional salaries and wages position component is $44,430 for fiscal year 2016-2017 and may be adjusted in subsequent fiscal years in accordance with the general appropriations act. This bill adds that for fiscal year 2021-2022 and all fiscal years thereafter, the dollar value of the BEP instructional salaries and wages position component set in the general appropriations act for a fiscal year is the greater of dollar value of the BEP instructional salaries and wages position component set in the general appropriations act for the previous fiscal year or the average of the salaries of all persons in every LEA employed in a position described in the instructional salaries and wages position components of the BEP in the previous fiscal year. <br /> <br /> This bill also provides, for fiscal year 2021-2022 and fiscal years thereafter, for the BEP including an amount of money to fund the salaries of positions described in the instructional salaries and wages position components of the BEP filled by persons employed by LEAs in positions for which the LEAs did not receive BEP funding in the previous fiscal year. <br /> <br /> Present law provided for the inclusion in the BEP an amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time public school nurse position for 3,000 students or one full-time position for each LEA, whichever is greater. An LEA may use the funds to directly employ a public school nurse or to contract with the Tennessee public school nurse program for provision of school health services; provided, that after the BEP is fully funded, an LEA must use the funds to directly employ or contract for a public school nurse as provided for in this provision or must advise the department of education that the LEA has affirmatively determined not to do so, in which case the LEA must notify the department of the election against providing the service and the alternative arrangement that the LEA has made to meet the health needs of its students.<br /> <br /> This bill rewrites the above provisions to provide for the inclusion in the BEP an amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time public-school nurse position for each public school in every LEA. This bill requires LEAs to use the funds to directly employ a public-school nurse or to contract with the Tennessee public school nurse program for provision of school health services. <br /> <br /> This bill also adds for inclusion in the BEP:<br /> <br /> (1) An amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time school counselor position for each public school in every LEA. An LEA must use the funds to employ a school counselor; <br /> <br /> (2) An amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time interventionist to lead the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) program in each public school in every LEA. An LEA must use the funds to employ an RTI2 interventionist; and<br /> <br /> (3) An amount of money sufficient to fund a technology coordinator position for each public school in every LEA. An LEA must use the funds to employ a technology coordinator.<br />