by Rachel Wegner and Vivian Jones | Nashville Tennessean
Expanding state-funded school choice options will be a key policy debate in the Tennessee legislature this year.
Gov. Bill Lee has proposed a statewide taxpayer-funded school voucher program. If approved, it would eventually allow any student, regardless of family income or location, to attend a private school of their choice and use a scholarship funded with state dollars to help do so.
It’s a controversial idea. Here are some things to know.
What are school vouchers, and why are they so controversial?
School vouchers, which are offered to a limited number of students in Tennessee right now through the existing Education Savings Account program, allow families to use taxpayer dollars to offset the costs of private schooling.
What is the current school voucher program in Tennessee?
Tennessee currently offers vouchers through the Education Savings Accounts program, which was passed by the state legislature in 2019. The program was swiftly embroiled in years of legal challenges, but ultimately overcame those and officially launched in the 2022-2023 school year. The vouchers are available to students zoned to attend Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Hamilton County Schools or any school in the Achievement School District as of May 2019.
Currently, 2,400 students across the three Tennessee counties are using the Education Savings Account program to offset costs for private schooling.
Who currently qualifies for school vouchers in Tennessee, and how can I apply?
Lee’s proposal to expand school vouchers to all counties is still just that — a proposal. The framework is still being worked out as this year’s legislative session nears. It’s set to kick off Jan. 9.
Here’s a look at the eligibility requirements each student must meet to participate in Tennessee’s current Educational Savings Program.
Students must be Tennessee residents entering kindergarten through 12th grade. They must be zoned to attend a school in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Hamilton County Schools or a school that was part of the Achievement School District as of May 24, 2019.
There are also income requirements attached the current program. The student must be a member of a household with an annual income for the previous year that doesn’t exceed twice the federal guideline that qualifies them for a free lunch. The guidelines change each year and depend on household size.
‘It concerns me’:GOP support not universal for Gov. Bill Lee’s statewide voucher plan
The student must also meet one of the following requirements:
- Previously enrolled in and attended a Tennessee public school for one full school year immediately before the school year for which the student receives an ESA.
- Previously enrolled in and attended a Tennessee public school for the entire school year in 2019-20, 2020-21, or 2021-22.
- Eligible for the first time to enroll in a Tennessee public school.
- Was eligible to enroll in a Tennessee public school for the first time in one of the following school years: 2019-20, 2020-21, or 2021-22.
- Received an ESA in the previous school year.
More information, including instructions on how to apply, can be found at tn.gov/education/esa.
Are Education Savings Accounts working?
It depends on who you ask.
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program test scores for ESA students show participants performed lower than their public school peers during the first year of the program in 2022-23. School administrators say that number may be more indicative of the student population the program is designed to reach ― or administrative hiccups due to the swift rollout of the program weeks before school began.
But feedback from parents for the first year of the program is overwhelmingly positive: 91% of parents who completed the Tennessee Department of Education’s parent satisfaction survey said that they were very satisfied with their student’s academic growth this year.
What is Gov. Lee proposing for school choice, vouchers?
Lee said he will back a new statewide school choice program this year.
The program would offer taxpayer-funded grants to 20,000 students to attend private or home schools of their choice — and open universal eligibility for the program beginning in 2025. Participating students would get about $7,075 to attend a private school of their choice beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
During the first year of the proposed program, the governor’s office said 10,000 grants will be reserved for students in families with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level, students with disabilities and those who are eligible for the existing Education Savings Accounts program. The remaining 10,000 slots will be made available to any student currently entitled to attend a public school.
Grants could be used at any private school and most home schools. Based on the number of students targeted, the program would cost the state $141.5 million annually if all slots are filled, plus administrative costs.
What are the arguments for expanding school choice options?
Proponents of expanding state-funded school choice programs argue that it would empower parents who would not otherwise financially be able to send their child to private school. They say it will give them alternatives to public and charter school zoning restrictions.
Proponents also often argue that the state should “fund students, not systems,” and that parents should be able to send children to the school that’s the best educational fit for their child, regardless of ZIP code or income.
What are the arguments against expanding vouchers?
Opponents to school vouchers say they divert state funding away from public schools, which they argue already are underfunded.
Lee’s office has said the Education Freedom Scholarships program would be funded separately from the state’s education funding formula. However, since the state’s education funding formula is tied to students, districts could lose money if students opt to leave for private schools.
Would Education Freedom Scholarship students be subject to the same testing and accountability requirements as their public school peers?
It’s unclear what, if any, accountability measures will be included in the governor’s Education Freedom Scholarships proposal.
Lee has said that he is “not going to compromise on accountability for public schools in Tennessee. However, his office has previously said that his voucher proposal does not currently require participants attending private schools with state-funded scholarships to be subject to any accountability requirements like state TCAP testing or third grade retention requirements that apply to public school students.
How would Tennessee track the success of a statewide school voucher program?
It’s not clear yet how state officials would measure success of the proposed Education Freedom Scholarships program. The full details of the governor’s proposed plan are not yet available.
Participants in the existing Education Savings Accounts program are required to take state TCAP tests each year, and parents complete a satisfaction survey about their student’s educational growth.
How would expanding vouchers impact homeschoolers in Tennessee?
The full impact of an expanded school voucher program will not come clear until a bill is filed and full details are hashed out.
If the bill extends eligibility for Lee’s proposed Education Freedom Scholarships to homeschooling families — as expected — any accountability measures included in the final version would apply to homeschooling families who ultimately received state-funded scholarship money.
Reach Rachel Wegner at RAWegner@tennessean.com or find her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner. Reach Vivian Jones at vjones@tennessean.com.
