Image: Speaker Cameron Sexton & Governor Bill Lee Image Credit: Speaker Cameron Sexton / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Governor Bill Lee has made no secret of his support for a school voucher program, and as the 2025 legislative session approaches Lee and other Republican lawmakers are shoring up support while finalizing plans for the introduction of a new education reform bill.
Last year, Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act was killed after much debate, negotiation, and criticism, but a new universal school voucher bill will be introduced this session. It will be the first bill filed after the November 5th election, indicating Governor Lee’s plans to set this proposal as his number one priority for the second consecutive year.
School choice remains a relatively impactful policy for voters, with a Beacon Poll conducted from September 27th to October 8th of this year reporting that 58% of voters were more likely to elect a candidate who, “supports school choice policies, which allow parents to choose their child’s school (public, private, charter, or home school) using public funding.”
The poll also indicated that 58% of Democrats would support pro-school choice candidates versus 56% of Republicans, though both these percentages are reportedly down from last year’s and Democrats tend to support stricter voucher policies.
Republican leaders claim they are finalizing details of the new proposal with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (District 27- Franklin) saying this week that he plans to file his chamber’s legislation on November 6th and expects House Majority Leader Wiliam Lamberth (District 44- Portland) will do the same.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton is optimistic that the House and Senate will be able to agree on the new plan, “I think we’re pretty close. We’ve been working hard to get there.” Despite the disagreements from last year, both chambers did vote to include $144 million in the state’s budget to fund some form of voucher program regardless of having a tangible plan or law.
This year’s proposal will share some similarities with the last, supposedly planning to provide about $7,000 to up to 20,000 students to attend a private school, with half those slots intended for students who are considered “economically disadvantaged.”
The revised bill would see all K-12 students, regardless of financial status, eligible for vouchers by 2026, though the number of recipients would vary depending on the program’s overall budget.
The Senate version of the bill will include some type of testing requirements to help gauge the program’s success in improving academic outcomes, though it is not yet clear if state assessments of state-approved national tests will be utilized. Lamberth has not commented if the House version will include a similar provision, though last year’s version did not and instead sought to reduce overall testing requirements for public schools.
Approximately 50 school boards across Tennessee issued resolutions in opposition to Lee’s Scholarship Act last year, but earlier in the month the Williamson County board voted 10-2 to rescind theirs as many of the newly-elected members ran on pro-school choice platforms. This position change could mark a shift in support for a voucher proposition, though no other boards have indicated support for this new plan.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
