🌱 County Officials Talk Education Funding + Report On State Schools

Hello all! I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through everything you need to know about what's happening in Chattanooga.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer; an a.m. shower or two. High: 61 Low: 46.

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Here are the top three stories today in Chattanooga:

1. Hamilton County's school board and county commissioners had a joint meeting with Senator Bo Watson on Saturday to discuss how a new state funding formula for education will be used in the county. The new student-based funding formula comes from the Tennesee Department of Education to be used by all schools in the state. (Channel 9 News)
2. A new report from the state estimates that Tennessee schools would need more than $9 billion over five years to renovate and improve their current infrastructure. Of that total, around $5.4 billion would go towards renovations and technology upgrades, and $3.6 billion would go towards expanding existing schools and adding new ones. (Subscription: Chattanooga Times Free Press)
3. State and Chattanooga officials and advocates are again discussing passenger train lines between Chattanooga and other cities like Nashville and Atlanta. Chattanooga has a history of passenger trains that ended in the 1970s, but multiple challenges stand in the way of reviving the mode of transportation. Rep. Yusuf Hakeem of Chattanooga is one of the lawmakers focused on passenger trains and said that he is planning to work on establishing a rail coalition. (Subscription: Chattanooga Times Free Press)

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Today in Chattanooga:

• Chattanooga Organized For Action At Renaissance Presbyterian Church (6:00 PM)
• Cross Stitching 101 In-Person Class At The Chattery (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you on the hunt for a new house? Or are you keeping an eye on the local housing market? Check out this roundup of five new properties to hit the market in the Chattanooga area, including several three-bedroom, two-bathroom houses. (Chattanooga Patch)
• Pull on your running shoes! The seventh annual Erlanger Chattanooga Marathon is coming Mar. 3-5. Learn more about this not-for-profit marathon at the link. (Visit Chattanooga via Facebook)
• Two new special exhibitions are now open to the public at the Hunter Museum of American Art. Come check out "Beauford Delaney's Metamorphosis into Freedom" and "Really Free: The Radical Art of Nellie Mae Rowe." (Hunter Museum of American Art via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.