Sunshine Review Grades for Department of Education and County

DOE Ranks 3rd in State

Transparency is an issue for Jefferson County, according to the 2013 County Sunshine Review, which issued the County a grade of D in government transparency. The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations cited the Sunshine Review in a recently released report on transparency in government. Ease of access to information for the public is the main factor in determining the local grade. Jefferson County scored high points for meeting information posted online, the ability to pay taxes online, County Officials contact information and building and zoning information provided online. In the deficit column, Jefferson County was marked down for having no online publishing of the County budget, minutes and agendas not provided online and no information on how to make a public records request. Lack of online information regarding County audits and contracts, as well as no disclosure of government sector lobbying associations were also noted in the report card.

The State of Tennessee faired much better than the individual counties, receiving a grade of a B, while only roughly one third of the counties in Tennessee received a passing grade and only 14 received a grade of a C or better.

Jefferson County Department of Education scored much higher on their report card, garnering a grade of B-. The DOE gained points for transparency in the online accessibility of current taxes, the budget, meeting dates and elected officials. They also scored high for listing of academic performance, administrators and financial records. According to the information released, the Jefferson County Department of Education was marked down for a lack of online public records and public checks, though the State of Tennessee does provide some online background and licensure information regarding educators in the State. The local DOE scored exceptionally well in comparison to other school districts in the State, with only 2 districts (Shelby and Sumner) posting higher (both with Bs) and three other districts having a tie score with Jefferson County.

The Sunshine Review is considered one of the definitive authorities on transparency in regard to public ease of access to government information. According to the Tennessee Advisory Commission’s report and accessory information, around 85% of citizens have sought public information online in the last year. The Tennessee Advisory Commission Report states- The past decade has seen widespread pressure to improve public access to government information, in part because of concerns about government performance but also because advances in technology make it possible.

The report was requested by the Tennessee Legislature.