ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Anderson County Board of Education asked state lawmakers to reject a proposal that would use public money to provide scholarships for families that want to enroll children in private schools, faith-based schools or charter schools.
In late November, Governor Bill Lee announced a proposal that would effectively give money to parents to pay for tuition and other expenses. Critics said it would divert public money away from public school systems, and a resolution passed Thursday in Anderson County Schools echoed those criticisms.
"Public schools that provide a free and appropriate education for all, including students with disabilities, require all available state funding in order to continue to improve without necessitating an increased burden on local taxpayers or reducing services for students," the resolution said. "Vouchers often divert public funds from the many who attend public schools to supplement those families who have already chosen a different option for the education of their children."
The proposal is named the Education Freedom Scholarship Act. It would start by providing a total of 20,000 scholarships to Tennessee students during the 2024-2025 school year. The first 10,000 scholarships would be for students whose families were at or below 300% of the federal poverty line, who have a disability or who are eligible for the state's new ESA program.
The other 10,000 scholarships would be available to a universal pool of students eligible to attend public schools.
The following school year and beyond, Tennessee students would be universally eligible to get scholarships so they could attend schools other than public schools, as long as funds are available for scholarships.
After announcing the proposal, Lee said the program was meant to give families more choices when it came to children's education. Representative Cameron Sexton (R - Crossville) supported it, saying the proposal may especially open education choices for families in rural areas who may not be satisfied with public schools.
However, Democratic lawmakers held a press conference before the announcement in early November condemning the prosal.
During the conference, lawmakers expressed concern that private schools would get public funds despite not having to follow the same standards as public schools. Senator Raumesh Akbari (D - Memphis) also said the system could expand and overtake public schools, attracting charter and private schools to Tennessee to take advantage of the program.
The resolution passed in Anderson County specifically says the Anderson County School Board, the Clinton City School Board, the Oak Ridge City School Board and the Anderson County Board of Commissioners were united in "strongly urging the Tennessee General Assembly to reject the Education Freedom Scholarship Act or similar voucher initiatives that would divert public dollars away from public schools."