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Expected Sumner County Student Increase Fizzles Following Funding Fight

A Middle Tennessee school system is apparently not getting a large increase in students, which was a focus in a budget fight. The Sumner County schools delayed opening for 10 days this month as the school board and the Sumner County Commission deadlocked over more education funding.

According to The Tennessean, a report after 20 days of classes showed just 280 additional students were enrolled. That figure is usually 300-500 more and the schools had estimated they would have about 1,200-1,400 more students this year.

County Commissioner Jerry Stone said he thinks school officials inflated their estimate to push through a tax increase.

Director of Schools Del Phillips said the inflated estimate wasn't deliberate or mistaken.

School board Chairman Ted Wise called the disparity "pretty doggone drastic.

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