NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Tuesday, groups across the state headed to the Tennessee capitol to protest a few things — including proposals to create a universal school voucher program.
One dad, Dustin Park, made the trip to Nashville from Maryville with two of his three kids to talk to lawmakers and rally against a proposal he said excludes students with disabilities.
"One of the groups of people that are most affected by this is kids with disabilities because they are excluded from receiving these types of vouchers," Park said. "They have to sign away all of their federal due process rights in order to get a voucher."
Park's son Elliott is a seventh-grader at Coulter Grove Intermediate School in Maryville. He also has Down Syndrome.
"He has loved his education where he is, he is supported and included in his school," Park said. "And with this bill, I see that being threatened. And I saw that being threatened with the proposal to do away with federal money."
Park raises several concerns with the plan. It would create a program that uses public money to pay for families' non-public education expenses. The money could be used to pay for tuition and other expenses. Opponents of the proposal said it would take money away from public schools, and said it wouldn't cover teh cost of most private schools.
"Most private schools are not going to take a kid with it with disabilities, because they don't have to abide by the IDEA, which is the law that guarantees a free appropriate public education for kids with disabilities," Park said. "It is promoting exclusive schools that don't accept all students, and we believe in inclusive schools and an inclusive community."
Park has also spoken with his representatives. Rep. Bryan Richey (R-Maryville) held town hall meetings with his constituents to discuss school vouchers. In the House Education Committee, he and Rep. Sam Mackenzie (D- Knoxville) voted against the voucher proposal.
"I think we disagree, kind of fundamentally on the idea of school choice and vouchers, but we do agree that this is a bad bill. And he recognizes I think the fiscal irresponsibility of it," Park said.
The universal school voucher proposal has several versions and still has to go through several committees before lawmakers will vote on whether to implement it.