Sumner County Lawmakers Support Lee’s School Voucher Plan

One local school board member says money could be spent elsewhere.

Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook & capitol.tn.gov

By Sam Stockard [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –

Sumner County’s delegation of state lawmakers is fully backing the governor’s plan to enact school vouchers statewide, though at least one local school board member opposes the idea.

“There’s much more pressing needs, to me, that our education tax dollars could be going toward besides providing scholarships for private school or homeschool,” Sumner County School Board member Allen Lancaster said.

The school district in Sumner County just northeast of Metro Nashville is among the fastest-growing in the state and achieved some of the highest test scores in Tennessee, at least before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 14 schools earning the designation in 2019 as Reward Schools with all students and student groups recording improvements in growth and achievement.

Despite those factors, all of Sumner County’s lawmakers turned out recently for Gov. Bill Lee’s “education freedom” announcement when he proposed 20,000 private school vouchers the first year, at a cost more than $140 million, and “universal” vouchers in the program’s second year. The governor did not say how the program would be funded.

Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, Senate speaker pro tem and a member of the Education Committee, will play a critical role in putting together the votes to pass the measure.

But while Haile said the details remain to be hashed out regarding funding and accountability, he noted, “This is a concept and an idea that I’m 100% for.”

Haile said he considers the proposal a parental option that will “strengthen public schools on all fronts.”

House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland, who will play an even bigger role in gaining passage in the House, said in a statement, “This is a bold idea that will empower families and change lives. This initiative, combined with our historic investments in public education, will launch a new era of student success in Tennessee.”

State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, said in a statement, “Every student deserves to have access to a quality education in Tennessee. With the governor’s proposal, families would have additional options when choosing a school that best meets the individual learning needs of their child. I look forward to learning more details about this legislation and working with my colleagues to address any concerns that may exist.”

Two years ago, the Legislature and governor injected $1 billion in K-12 education, and this year they initiated a plan that would push teachers’ starting pay to $50,000 by the time Lee leaves office in three years.

Responding to questions, Sumner County Schools Director Scott Langford declined to criticize the proposal or lawmakers, saying he has a “great relationship” with the Sumner legislative delegation, which he said is “committed” to supporting county schools and reaching out for feedback on legislation.

“I am deeply committed to see increased funding for our public schools in Tennessee,” Langford said, adding he and his children are products of the school district. “Our legislators have been great supporters of our school system, and I know that they will continue that support into the future.”

Under the governor’s proposal, 20,000 scholarships worth $7,075 each will be offered in the program’s first year, 2024-25. The first 10,000 would go to students in every school district at 300% of the federal poverty level, about $90,000 for a family of four. The remaining 10,000 would go to a “universal” pool of students eligible to attend public schools.

In the second year, though, the money would be available for all students eligible to go to public schools in Tennessee.

The program is expected to be funded with a separate pool of money from the funds approved for K-12 public schools. Under the state’s Education Savings Account program, money from the K-12 fund follows students to private schools. 

Now in its second year, the ESA program enrolled only 1,972 students in Metro Nashville, Shelby and Hamilton counties school districts, even though funding was approved for up to 5,000 students in the first year.

Even though lawmakers support the proposal, Sumner County School Board member Lancaster raised questions.

He pointed out many of his friends who homeschool their children or send them to private schools “are very concerned about the government or the state sticking their finger” in those types of education. Those parents, whether for religious or some other reason, want their children to be “completely out” of government control, Lancaster said.

“Any time you attach funding to something, you’re going to open up the arm of the government to tell you what to do for how to get it,” Lancaster said.

The governor could not provide answers last week on whether private schools that accept voucher students will have to undergo new state requirements. Of 75 schools that participate in the Education Savings Account program, 63 have religious affiliations.

Sumner County School Board chairman Tim Brewer did not respond to phone calls.

Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, and who represent part of Sumner County, could not be reached for comment.

About the Author: Sam Stockard is a veteran Tennessee reporter and editor, having written for the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, where he served as lead editor when the paper won an award for being the state’s best Sunday newspaper two years in a row. He has led the Capitol Hill bureau for The Daily Memphian. His awards include Best Single Editorial from the Tennessee Press Association. Follow Stockard on Twitter @StockardSam