Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee announced his implementation of a statewide school choice policy on an educational website to expand educational opportunities for students.
School choice is the policy that discusses the usage of public education funds to allow students to attend a range of alternatives to traditional public schools, which have become more widespread in the United States during the past years.
Gov. Bill Lee Implements School Choice Policy
Lee collaborated with Republican Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to present the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, a transformative approach to school choice in Tennessee. He hoped the state legislature, which includes a Republican supermajority friendly to the governor, would pass the law next year.
The legislation's success would significantly expand educational options for families across the state, transforming education with a new approach. The legislative leaders have also been checking alternatives on whether or not Tennessee could reject federal education funding instead of state-level funding to avoid federal dollars.
"A high-quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a child's life, and there's no question that now is the time to make school choice a reality for every Tennessee family," Lee said.
He added that Tennessee's education freedom scholarships would empower parents with the freedom to choose the proper education for their child while also giving them a chance to speak about how their taxpayer dollars were invested.
Sanders noted that the policy would allow families to send their kids to whichever school best fits their needs, whether private, parochial, public, or homeschool.
Approximately 20,000 scholarships would be available in the 2024-2025 school year, half reserved for students meeting specific criteria like economic status or disability and the rest for a broader student pool mentioned on the website.
In the 2025-2026 school year, universal availability of the program would be implemented, with priority given to currently enrolled, low-income, and public school students if demand exceeds funding.
The scholarships cover approximately $7,075 per student in the first year for educational expenses, from private school tuition and textbooks to tutoring services and technology for academic requirements.
Furthermore, homeschooled students enrolled in a category IV school would also be available for these scholarships.
School Choice Policy Receives Support From Legislative Leaders
State Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally extended their support after Lee's speech at the announcement. Sexton said they agree that every child should have an opportunity for a quality education.
"It's really incumbent upon us to make sure that children have access to a quality education that meets their individual needs," she added. McNally agreed with Sexton's sentiments that working to expand parents' and students' educational choices would always be a worthy goal.
In a press release, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said that parents should be empowered to make the best education decisions for their children by having input over where their taxpayer dollars were spent across the state.
He was thankful to Lee for proposing the Education Freedom Scholarship Act to allow Tennessee parents to choose their children's education and school.
