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Open letter to the Clarksville City Council and Mayor Joe Pitts from Chris Lanier, sent during city budget discussions:
My name is Chris Lanier. I am parent, taxpayer, and chairman of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board. I have emailed you tonight to discuss more than just a line item in a budget. I’m here to talk about a promise. After we all worked together to develop and approve this budget, the proposal to take back $3.5 million in funding from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System isn’t just a change in financial plans; it directly affects the everyday lives and futures of our children.
They say a budget shows what a community truly values. If we move forward with this cut now, the story we are telling is that we are willing to pull the rug out from under our students after the plan for their success has already been set in motion.
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Most CMCSS students are in City of Clarksville
Let’s look at the “who” behind these numbers. When people think of our school system, they often view it as a monolithic entity. But the data tells a different story – a story of a city that carries the vast majority of the weight. CMCSS serves nearly 31,000 students across 34 schools within the city limits. Compare that to about 9,200 students in the county.
To put that in perspective, for every one student in a county school, there are more than three students sitting in a city classroom. Our city schools are larger, averaging 910 students per building. We aren’t just a part of the system; we are the heart of the system. To cut $3.5 million from the district is, by the very definition of the data, an intentional reduction in resources for the children who live right here within our city limits.
The City of Clarksville charged Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools approximately $220,000 in building permits to build Freedom Elementary when other districts have theirs waived by their local government.
Student needs are highest inside city limits
But this isn’t just about the number of students; it’s about the needs of those students. The data on economic disadvantage is staggering. In our city schools, nearly 59% of our students are classified as economically disadvantaged. In the county, that number drops to 40%. Perhaps the most important statistic is this: The single highest rate of poverty in a county school is 60%. That “worst-case scenario” for the county is actually the average reality for a city school. We also cannot ignore the most vulnerable among us: our FIT, or homeless transition, students. The rate of student homelessness in our city is nearly double that of the county, at 2.25%.
Our data shows a powerful correlation – a 0.74 coefficient – between economic disadvantage and homelessness. We know that when a child doesn’t know where they are sleeping at night, or where their next meal is coming from, the school system is the only safety net they have. By withdrawing $3.5 million, we are fraying that safety net at the exact moment these children need it most.
We also see a huge range of needs within our city limits. While county schools are fairly similar to one another, our city schools see a massive range of economic hardship, ranging from 24% all the way to nearly 90% at others. This means that our school leaders have an incredibly tough job. They have to make sure every single student gets a fair chance, no matter their background.
Schools have already made budget plans
When we approved the budget with the $3.5 million included, we gave the school system the green light to hire teachers, buy supplies, and build programs to help all our students succeed. To take that back now puts the district in an impossible position.
The timing of this proposal is perhaps its most damaging feature. We have already moved past the planning phase. We are recruiting great educators and support staff, schedules are being set, and promises have been made to our families. To withdraw funding from CMCSS while we approved a 2% cost of living wage increase along with the Montgomery County Government, and for the City of Clarksville to propose a 3% cost of living wage increase, is disparaging.
I urge this council to honor the budget as it was intended. Let us stand by our 31,000 students in the city. Let us prove that when Clarksville makes a promise to its children, we keep it.
Do not drop this funding. Our students have earned it, our schools require it, and our city’s future depends on it.
Chris Lanier, CMCSS School Board chairman