Featured photo by Kailee Shores
Story by Hannah Ferraria
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In his annual State of the State Address in February, Gov. Bill Lee voiced an ambitious plan to transform Tennessee’s K-12 education system by making school vouchers available to every eligible student. Controversies over the program have already been a significant discussion in Tennessee politics this year.
His vision for the program has been around since he was sworn in as governor in 2019.
That year, the Republican-majority legislature approved an Education Savings Account program that applied only to schools in Nashville, Memphis and later Chattanooga.
Though it faced significant legal hurdles that delayed its implementation, the program is in place in these school districts for interested families that meet specific low-income and residency requirements. It is also available in Achievement School Districts, schools ranked at the bottom 5% of the state.
Parents can use the funds for select expenses at both public and approved private schools.
The expansive Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which Governor Lee announced last November and reemphasized in his address in February, would eventually apply to the entire state.
The program would award 10,000 scholarships for disadvantaged students and another 10,000 to eligible public school students for the 2024-2025 school year.
It necessitates $144 million in tax dollars for that academic year alone, not including potential unexpected costs.
For the 2025-2026 school year and beyond, the scholarships would be available to all students eligible to attend a Tennessee public school, including those wishing to homeschool under an umbrella school.
During the announcement in November, Gov. Lee underscored the principle of giving parents “the freedom to choose the right education” and “a say in how their taxpayer dollars are invested.”
The legislation promises transformative results for Tennessee educational opportunities. But despite these lofty goals and the allure of school choice, the initiative has failed to receive widespread support.
Even among Lee’s fellow Republicans in a supermajority state, there is plenty of hesitation about investing large amounts of money in private schools.
When speaking to The Tennessean, Rep. Sam Whitson of Franklin, Tennessee, expressed that as a “fiscal conservative,” his concern is that the vouchers may produce “true costs” which could quickly get out of hand.
Others are concerned about the lack of accountability for private schools that potentially receive the money. Private schools are not held to the same state standards as the public schools and could receive a significant amount of taxpayers’ money without putting it state-approved use.
Democrats are concerned that the program would divert funds from public schools that need them the most and effectively provide a discount for already-wealthy families who send their children to private schools.
Memphis Democrat and State Senator London Lamar commented, “Our tax dollars should be used for our public school system.”
According to an Instagram post by Tennessee for All, more than 60 counties, school boards and other local government bodies in the state have formally expressed resistance to the voucher program.
The list includes some of the state’s most populous counties, such as Shelby, Montgomery and Rutherford, each with public school systems serving a significant portion of the state’s major cities.
The plan will likely continue to be a divisive issue, as various studies show debatable results for voucher-based school systems.
Hannah Ferraria is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact News Editor Alyssa Williams and Assistant News Editor Zoe Naylor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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