Tennessee Moves Closer to Statewide School Voucher Program Despite Opposition
Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to create a statewide school voucher program made progress in both the Senate and House committees after hours of debate. The controversial plan aims to provide up to 20,000 students with taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools. Despite strong opposition from educators like Maryville City Schools Director Mike Winstead, who called vouchers a “poison pill,” the legislation passed with split votes in both chambers.
The Senate bill, starting at $95 million, requires voucher recipients to take tests, but not the same rigorous assessments as public school students. The House version, starting at $398 million, has no testing requirement. Both bills also include additional provisions to entice public school supporters, such as reducing testing time and increasing state contributions towards teacher health insurance.
Lawmakers expressed concerns about the cost of the program, with Rep. Charlie Baum noting Tennessee’s budget shortfall. Rep. Chris Hurt worried about the public school measures being compromised in the final legislation. Despite the debates, the Education Freedom Scholarship Act must clear more committees before going to a full vote in both chambers.
The House debate also touched on potential issues like voucher money going to undocumented students and private schools with controversial curricula. Senate Democrats expressed concerns about the lack of accountability standards for private voucher schools. Despite the opposition, the voucher proposal continues to move forward, supported by parental choice advocates while facing strong criticism from public education advocates.
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Photo credit tennesseelookout.com
Tennessee school voucher legislation overcomes additional obstacles following heated debate
