District says enrollment counts are fluid; new rule requires posting available seats and may trigger lotteries

District officials told the county commission the numbers used in the meeting packet do not reflect current classroom counts and that enrollment figures fluctuate daily, complicating near‑term budget projections.

Dr. Cash said the state pulls enrollment data monthly and that what the district sees in classrooms can differ from state data. Commissioners asked for classroom‑level counts; staff committed to providing updated numbers for selected schools and to provide the state‑reported June ADMs for 2024 and 2025 as an apples‑to‑apples comparison when June 2026 data are finalized.

Officials also explained a statutory requirement to post available seats online and run a 30‑day open‑enrollment window before school starts. The district must list vacancies by grade and school, and when applications exceed available slots the school must run a lottery; the code permits the district to reserve seats for in‑county or zoned students in some circumstances. The presenter said the law requires public posting on the county website and a 14‑day posting window by grade for seat applications during the 30‑day period.

On funding mechanics, staff reviewed how Tennessee’s TISA payments are tied to averaged reporting periods and that the ADM finalized on June 15 locks the figure used for next year’s funding; payments are then divided over 10 months beginning in July.

Commissioners asked for updated pulls and classroom counts; staff said they would provide those data in a few weeks and would return final June ADMs in mid‑June.