蜜桃影视

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 蜜桃影视 Newsletter

This article is part of 蜜桃影视鈥檚 EDlection 2024 coverage, which takes a look at candidates鈥� education policies and how they might impact the American education system after the 2024 election.

One day after the 2024 election, Gov. Bill Lee and lawmakers rolled out a recycled 鈥渦niversal鈥� private-school voucher program designed to gain support from teachers and school districts with extra spending.

The measure doesn鈥檛 have a funding estimate attached, but lawmakers placed $144 million in this year鈥檚 budget for a plan that failed to pass, and the new proposal could cost another $275 million, plus funds to give teachers a one-time $2,000 bonus. In addition, 80% of all sports wagering money is to be dedicated to building and maintaining K-12 public schools.

Lee鈥檚 plan would provide 20,000 鈥渟cholarships鈥� worth $7,075 for students to enroll in private schools in 2025-26 with 10,000 of those for students from families at or below 300% of the maximum income to qualify for free or reduced-price lunches 鈥� which is estimated to be nearly $175,000 per household income. Students with disabilities and those in the state鈥檚 education savings account program would be eligible too.

Some 350 private schools would be eligible to participate in the program and would be required to administer the state鈥檚 standardized test or one that fits their curriculum, but the bill says they would maintain educational freedom.

The state would add 5,000 鈥渟cholarships鈥� each year once 75% of them are provided to students.

In introducing the bill, Lee and key lawmakers said they want to offer students a chance at educational success 鈥渞egardless of their ZIP code.鈥�

鈥淕iving parents the ability to choose for their child will provide more opportunities and reduce poverty throughout our state,鈥� said House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who opposed the school voucher program in 2019. 鈥淚ncreased competition for a student鈥檚 enrollment will make schools, school systems and administrators meet the need for a higher quality of education.鈥�

Lawmakers failed to pass a similar bill proposed by the governor earlier this year when the Senate and House couldn鈥檛 agree to widely disparate versions. The House bill contained funding to give teachers more money for insurance as well as for districts to maintain school buildings. The Senate version allowed students to transfer to any public district in the state.

Lee told reporters Wednesday this is the legislation鈥檚 鈥渘ext step鈥� and said he believes lawmakers are 鈥渕oving in that direction鈥� to pass the bill. General Assembly leaders have tried to address members鈥� concerns in writing the bill, he said.

House Majority Leader William Lamberth said in a statement the bill 鈥渓eaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing the very best educational path to set the next generation up for success.鈥� He said the measure will allow public schools to remain the foundation for Tennessee鈥檚 education system while enabling parents instead of the governor to determine which route helps their children the most.

The press release also says the bill 鈥渆nsures state funding to school districts will never decrease due to disenrollment,鈥� and the governor backed that up Wednesday.

One of opponents鈥� biggest complaints has been that private-school vouchers will drain money from public schools.

Yet the bill says a school district鈥檚 funding 鈥渟hall not decrease from one year to the next year due to the disenrollment of students.鈥� If districts lose students, the state would have to pay additional funds to those districts to cover those transfers for just one year.

In addition, the bill denies 鈥渟cholarships鈥� to undocumented students, even though a 1982 Supreme Court case, Plyler v. Doe, prohibits states from denying students a free public education based on immigration status.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville said it is clear the governor is trying to buy teachers鈥� support with bonus pay.

鈥淚t鈥檚 offensive that this voucher con job, which quite clearly will make it nearly impossible for Tennessee to keep paying teachers what they deserve, is being accompanied by this one-time token money,鈥� Yarbro said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on and .

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 蜜桃影视 Newsletter