(The Center Square) – A board of education that is part of Tennessee’s school choice program is asking lawmakers not to expand statewide.
Hamilton County is one of three counties participating in a school choice pilot program. Eligible students are receiving $9,800 a year.
Gov. Bill Lee is supporting a bill filed by Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, and Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, that would expand the school choice program statewide.
The Hamilton County Board of Education passed a legislative agenda on Thursday that asked lawmakers not to expand the program. The vote was seven to two, with one abstaining.
The pilot program has not demonstrated improved student outcomes, the legislative agenda said.
“The board recommends retaining current limitations of the pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness including 200% poverty-level income eligibility and prior public school attendance, and to include holding private schools and homeschool programs accepting vouchers to the same accountability stands as public schools,” the legislative agenda said.
Jeanette Omarkhail, president of the Hamilton County Education Association, said vouchers are not about increasing school choice.
“We already have ample school choice in Hamilton County thanks to the hard work and collaborations between the district and the board,” Omarkhail said in the board’s work session. “Supporting the expansion of the voucher program would send a message that the public schools you were elected to support and protect are not worthy of the resources and attention they need.”
The “Education Freedom Act of 2025” proposed by Lee includes $20,000 in scholarships of $7,075 each that could be used for tuition, fees or other education expenses. Half of the scholarships would go to students below 300% of income, which qualifies them for free or reduced lunches, students with disabilities or those who are eligible for the current school choice plan.
The bill also includes a $2,000 bonus for teachers and an increase in starting teacher pay to $47,000 a year, beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
A Beacon Center poll of 1,200 likely Tennessee voters showed both Democrats and Republicans would back candidates who support school choice, according to a previous report from The Center Square. Democratic voters were even more likely than Republicans, with 58% saying they would vote for a proponent of school choice compared to 56% of their GOP counterparts, according to the poll.
