Governor Lee Unveils School Voucher Proposal; Democrats Against Legislation
Tuesday in Nashville, Governor Bill Lee unveiled his new Education Freedom Scholarship Act. The governor’s office says that the act aims “to provide every Tennessee parent with the opportunity to choose the right education for their child, while prioritizing families with the greatest need.” The proposed legislation would do so by expanding a current voucher program to all 95 counties in the state of Tennessee, which would allow tax money to cover the tuition of a student going to a private school.
According to the legislation, for the 2024-25 school year, there would be 10,000 scholarships available for Tennessee students who are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, have a disability, or are eligible for the existing Education Savings Account pilot program. Another 10,000 scholarships would be made available to a universal pool of students entitled to a public school. From the 2025-26 school year forward, there would be universal eligibility of those students entitled to public school. However, if applications exceed available funding, lower income, public-school and returning scholarship students would receive priority.
Democrats, are not happy with the proposed legislation saying that money should be used to prop up public schools, not be sent to private schools. They also say that $7,000 the program would provide for a student would still not be enough for poor families to send their child to a private school. A formal fiscal analysis has not yet been done, but it is estimated that the program could cost the state as much as $141.5 million.
The program Lee presented yesterday has been in place in Nashville & Memphis and last year was expanded to Chattanooga. This bill would expand the program statewide.