Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill adds to the provisions governing maximum class size and pupil-teacher ratio averages. Present law establishes maximum classroom sizes and pupil-teacher ratio averages. Present law prohibits the commissioner of education and the state board of education from granting waivers from the maximum class sizes. Present law also provides that the average size of any grade level unit must not exceed the average stated in present law, but that an individual class within that unit may exceed the average, provided that that no class may exceed the prescribed maximum size. Under present law, for grades K-3, the stated maximum class size is 25 students and the stated average class size is 20 students. This bill: (1) Provides that beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, notwithstanding the above-described present law provisions, the class size of any of the grades K-3 may not exceed 20 students, and the average size of any K-3 grade level unit may not exceed 15 students, in a school in which 50 percent or more of the school's third grade were not reading on grade level by the end of the immediately preceding school year, as determined by the department; (2) Requires the department to identify each school in which 50 percent or more of the school's third grade students were not reading on grade level by the end of the immediately preceding school year by July 1, 2021, for the 2021-2022 school year, and by July 1 of each year thereafter for subsequent school years; and (3) Requires, beginning with the 2021-2022 fiscal year, that the basic education program fund one full-time classroom teaching position for each 15 students in K-3 enrolled in each school identified by the department in item (2) above for the immediately preceding school year. Each LEA must apportion any increase in funding generated for teaching positions pursuant to this bill to each school located within the geographic boundaries of the LEA identified by the department in item (2) above. Each school that receives such funding must use the funds to employ K-3 teachers to provide additional support to K-3 students.