Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-102 (2026)
Administration generally
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) The system of public education in this state is governed in accordance with laws enacted by the general assembly and under rules, policies, standards, and guidelines adopted by the state board of education that are necessary for the proper operation of public education in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve (pre-K-12). The state board shall formulate the rules, policies, standards, and guidelines with assistance from the commissioner of education, as the state board may request.
- (b) The commissioner shall perform the duties assigned to the commissioner by law and is responsible for the administration, implementation, supervision, and enforcement of the rules, policies, standards, and guidelines of the state board of education.
- (c) There shall be a local public school system operated in each county or combination of counties. There may be a local public school system operated in a municipality or special school district. Any local public school system shall be administered by:
- (1) A local board of education; and
- (2) A director of schools.
- (d) In the event the local public school system is a multi-county system, the system shall be administered by an elected nine-member board of education and a director appointed by the board.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 493, s 1, eff. 5/25/2021.
Acts 1925, ch. 115, § 2; Shan. Supp., § 1487a16; Code 1932, § 2307; Acts 1974, ch. 654, § 1; 1979, ch. 20, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 49-102; Acts 1984 (1st Ex. Sess.), ch. 6, § 2; 1992, ch. 535, § 63.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3
cases, 1991–2019 · leading case: Crites v. Smith, 826 S.W.2d 459 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1991).
Crites v. Smith, 826 S.W.2d 459 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1991). “They have assumed responsibility to act on the requests for exemptions without first obtaining policy direction from the Board of Education as required by Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 49-1-102 (a), -102(b) (1990) and Tenn.”
The City of Humboldt v. J.R. McKnight (Tenn. Ct. App. 2004). “Finally, the court found that Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-102 places the duty on the county to operate a school system.”
State Ex Rel. Candice McQueen v. Metro. Nashville Bd. of Pub. Educ. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2019). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-102 (c). The facts that brought about the lawsuit are not in dispute.”
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