NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee is preparing to announce a plan to dramatically expand Tennessee's controversial school voucher program, allowing K-12 students to receive taxpayer funding for private school regardless of need, according to talking points obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
The plan — which critics argue would upend traditional public schools all across the state — would even provide funding for students to attend unaccredited private schools with little track record of success. Lee's office has been trying to convince Republican lawmakers to stand with him for an announcement currently slated for Tuesday afternoon, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing the governor's office.
"Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships will empower parents with the freedom to choose the right education for their child — and give them a say in where their taxpayer dollars are spent," says the one-page summary provided to NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
Right now, a limited number of low- and middle-income students in Davidson, Hamilton and Shelby counties are entitled to receive about $9,000 a year to attend eligible private schools under the Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program, according to the Tennessee Department of Education's website.
Lee's new proposal for an Education Freedom Scholarship Act would provide an estimated $7,000 per student beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the one-pager says.
According to the summary, in the first year, eligible students would be those who are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, have a disability or are eligible for the existing ESA pilot program.
Beginning in 2025-26, the plan calls for "universal eligibility for all students entitled to attend a public school."
Funding would be provided "for a minimum of 10,000 scholarships, increasing over time until all Tennessee students who desire a scholarship are awarded one."
The private schools entitled to receive state funding would be programs in Category 1 (schools approved by the Tennessee Department of Education), Category 2 (schools accredited under programs authorized by the Tennessee Department of Education), Category 3 (schools accredited by regional entities), Category 4 (schools that are members of religiously affiliated organizations) and Category 5 (schools that are unaccredited and not members of any religious associations).
Category 5 schools, according to the state's website, include startup programs with as few as 10 students.
Homeschool students enrolled in Category 4 schools would be eligible for the vouchers, "but not those in an independent home school," a footnote says.
Eligible expenses, according to the summary, would include:
- Private school tuition, fees and uniforms required by the private school
- Textbooks, curricula and instructional materials required by the private school
- Tutoring services provided by a tutor or tutoring facility
- Fees for transportation to and from a private school
- Computer hardware, technological devices and tech fees used for educational needs
- Tuition, fees, textbooks, curricula and instructional materials for summer and after-school academic programs (public and private), not including after-school childcare
- Fees for early post-secondary opportunity courses or exam, entrance exams required for post-secondary admission and state-recognized industry certification exams
- Educational therapy services provided by therapists
The Tennessean recently reported that test scores for ESA students "show participants performed lower than their public school peers during the first year of the program in 2022-23."
Critics have warned that the expansion of school vouchers would lead to the consolidation of traditional community schools across the state, including in rural areas.
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SPECIAL SECTION: Revealed
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