Image Credit: School Choice Week / Facebook & capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga-District 10) has filed legislation to expand Tennessee’s Education Savings Accounts to bring the same opportunities now afforded to families in Shelby and Davidson counties to many who have children in other struggling schools.
Senate Bill 0012 (SB0012), as introduced, expands the eligibility criteria for an education savings account to include students zoned to attend a school in an LEA with at least five schools, instead of at least 10, identified as being in the bottom 10 percent of schools in 2017 and identified as priority schools in the 2015, 2018, and 2021 priority school cycles. – Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.
Senate Bill 0012 has prime co-sponsors of Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol-District 4) and Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson-District 11). The bill does not yet have a sponsor in the House upon publication of this article.
Public Chapter 506 established the Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) program, which allows eligible students in Shelby and Davidson counties to use state and local Basic Education Program (BEP) funds toward expenses, such as tutoring services, fees for early postsecondary opportunity courses and examinations, and tuition, fees, and textbooks at approved private schools.
A legislative brief by the Tennessee Comptroller answers questions about eligibility, allowable expenses, funding, and accountability for the program.
The current rules of State Board of Education Chapter 0520-01-16 for Education Savings Accounts can be found HERE.
Governor Bill Lee, who supports Tennessee’s ESA program and signed it into law in spring 2019, said in his first State of the State address before a joint session of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly that, “Low income students deserve the same opportunity as every other kid in this state, and we will need a bold plan that will help level the playing field. We need to challenge the status quo, increase competition, and not slow down until every student in Tennessee has access to a great education. We’re not going to get big results from our struggling schools by nibbling around the edges. That is why we need education savings accounts in Tennessee this year.”
Although the program became law back in 2019, it has been entangled in court battles ever since.
After the Tennessee Supreme Court lifted an injunction on the program this summer, the state was able to move forward with the initiative but approval was not set in stone until a final judgment was decreed.
Only last week, a three-judge panel ruled that the program was good to proceed without any further court intervention.
School districts argued that they would be harmed by the program because of a loss of public funding, but the panel ruled that argument was unfounded because the program is set up to be funded by the state for the first three years of the pilot program, and not local school districts.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office issued this statement after the final ruling, “The Court’s decision secures access to additional educational opportunities for thousands of children in Shelby and Davidson Counties.”
Should Gardenhire’s bill become law, many more families in Tennessee would have the opportunity to pursue better educational opportunities for their children.
The bill states that it will take effect upon becoming law.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
