Tennessee legislature sends governor pared-down school voucher growth monthly bill, omitting Knox County

Tennessee lawmakers agreed Friday to increase the state’s private college voucher application to Hamilton County — but not to Knox County — as they geared up to wrap up their legislative session for the calendar year.

The Residence had authorized a invoice on Wednesday to include each counties to the system now running in Shelby County and Metro Nashville to permit eligible family members use taxpayer dollars towards personal university tuition.

But the Senate, which voted in February to increase vouchers to Chattanooga-centered Hamilton County, turned down the House’s broader growth on Thursday without having explanation. 

On Friday, the House voted 57-27 to concur with the Senate edition and ship the measure to Gov. Bill Lee for his signature.

The last bill, although pared down, marks the to start with big enlargement of the non-public university voucher program, which launched previous fall under a 2019 regulation that cleared a collection of authorized hurdles very last yr but nonetheless faces challenges in courtroom.

With 44,000 pupils, Hamilton County Faculties is one of the state’s major districts.

Lee pressed for the regulation to give mother and father far more training options for their small children. But detractors say that non-public school vouchers do not strengthen pupil outcomes and divert scarce means from general public schools that provide most students who are disadvantaged or have exclusive demands.

Tennessee’s law caps enrollment at 5,000 learners in the program’s first 12 months. The application has major home to mature, centered on the hottest numbers from the condition training office.

As of April 14, the state had approved 705 candidates to use vouchers this faculty yr to exit Memphis-Shelby County Educational institutions and Metro Nashville Community Educational facilities. Of that range, 453 applicants experienced submitted evidence that they’ve enrolled in condition-accredited non-public university and are utilizing their voucher of almost $8,200 towards tuition.

While there was no discussion on the Senate flooring about factors fo rejecting the House’s proposed expansion to Knox County, none of the 3 Republican customers who represent that region — Sens. Richard Briggs and Becky Massey and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally — supported it.

“I believe we have a pretty fantastic college technique in Knox County and that mothers and fathers by now have a good deal of possibilities,” Briggs instructed Chalkbeat very last month.

He mentioned that students in his district have the possibility to show up at magnet faculties, a constitution college, specialised finding out academies, and global baccalaureate packages, and to transfer amongst the district’s 90 educational institutions, as extensive as there is area available.

“The past time we voted on (school vouchers) in the legislature, the the vast majority of our Knox County delegation voted against it,” Briggs added. “And there is certainly not aid for them among our citizens.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and handles the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Call her at [email protected].