Image Credit: Alan Wooten / The Center Square
***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this article posted here for informational purposes only.
The Center Square [By Kim Jarrett] –
The Tennessee Department of Education received more than 50,000 applications for Education Freedom Scholarships, but lawmakers from both parties said they still have questions about the program.
The program awarded $7,295 to 20,000 students in its inaugural year and will expand by 5,000 each year after. The application period for students who did not receive the scholarships in its first year opened Monday.
The number of applications includes students who received the scholarships last year and new applications, according to Gov. Bill Lee’s office.
“As demand for Education Freedom Scholarships continues to grow, I look forward to working with the General Assembly to increase the number of available scholarships for the 2026-27 school year,” Lee said. “It’s clear that Tennessee parents want choices when it comes to their child’s education, and expanding access to this program will ensure every child has an opportunity to thrive, regardless of income or ZIP code.”
The program received pushback from both parties when it was approved during a 2025 special session.
“The majority of people using vouchers are already in private schools,” said Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman London Lamar in an interview with TCS on Thursday. “It was marketed as a way to help low-performing students or students who are disadvantaged access private schools and that’s not what’s happening. It’s people already in private school basically getting a coupon.”
Rep. Jody Barrett agrees. The Dickson Republican has filed a bill with Republican Sen. Page Walley of Savannah that would require the Department of Education to provide an annual report that includes information on who is receiving the money.
“The biggest concern is just making sure that if we’re going to create a program that we’re labeling as a freedom scholarship or providing some sort of access to escape failing schools, then we want to make that the money we’re spending that is the taxpayers month, not ours, is being spent wisely and effectively and actually accomplishing the goal the the bill is being held out to achieve,” Barrett said in an interview with TCS.
The Education Freedom Scholarship is facing a legal challenge from five organizations representing 10 plaintiffs who said the scholarship program diverts money from public schools and discriminates against students with disabilities. The suit is pending in Davidson County Chancery Court.
The program cost $144 million in its first year. If lawmakers decide to extend the program beyond the 5,000 allowed by law, the question would be where the state would get the money in a tight budget year. Lee will not release his budget until the first week of February.
State officials are encouraging families who have not applied to do so by the Jan. 31 deadline.
“Entering the program’s second year with even more interest statewide is a clear indicator that the EFS Program is successfully expanding educational choices for families,” said Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds.
4 Responses
Vouchers do NOTHING for rural folks except cost them.
I wish the legislature and public schools fought as hard against illegal aliens in public schools “taking away school funds” as they do native Tennessee kids getting vouchers.
Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga have had all the favoritism with the initial vouchers, and they have the most illegals. Why should Tennesseeans spend $12-13k for any student in the multiple Memphis schools in the single digits on proficiency?
Maybe parents want their children away from p*RN in the public school library (that school boards like wilson county fight so hard to keep), maybe they want them away from the multiple rapists the public system employs (and we’ve yet to see that capital punishment law used – how many does it take?). I have no issue giving somebody a half-price scholarship that we would otherwise normally spend $13k on in an ever-increasing ESL environment with ever-decreasing academics.
Horatio, I don’t disagree, but this program is the biggest ENTITLEMENT program in the history of our state and REPUBLICANS hoisted this heavy, black hole upon their tax payers, that will eventually outgrow it’s funds! And, to beat all – IT DOES NOT fund an educational freedom from FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. We all know the OVERWHELMING majority of students that rec’d. the first round of scholarships were ALREADY in private schools…..BECAUSE, their private school administrators COACHED them through the application process…where the typical, Tennessee public school student was given NO SUCH help or instruction! This LARGE GOVERNMENT PROGRAM is SHAMEFUL! Shame on Governor Bill and the Tennessee Legislature for introducing such a BIG GOVERNMENT BILL. In the end, Private Schools that take on these scholarships will NO LONGER be ‘private’, but an extension of public schools that the STATE BUREAUCRATS at Tn Dept. of Ed. can bully them into accepting their educational programs! And, it will continue to FAIL the students trapped in failing public schools! A REAL conservative would have promoted a bill in the legislature that makes it ILLEGAL to discriminate on any tax paying, family by GERRY MANDERING school zones – allowing ANY STUDENT across the state that can provide his own transportation to enroll and attend ANY state funded school, anywhere! The good schools would thrive and failing schools would fall further and further behind! Secondary education is done JUST like this, so don’t say it can’t be done. And, it would come at NO additional cost to county school board as those STATE funds would follow the student from a FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOL to any other school of their choice in the county or state! I’m surprised all those ‘conservatives’ on the hill could not come up with a REAL EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM bill, but alas, they are really NOT conservative at all! SAD! THROW THE RINOS OUT! VOTE!
Bill Lee, you’re a liar; homeschool kids cannot participate! You started this for rich families to get into private schools and paid by the state.