Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signaled on Monday that the state legislature will not pass a school voucher system this session despite “tremendous progress” on the effort.
Tennessee’s state legislative session began this year on Jan. 9 and is set to conclude on Thursday, April 25.
“While we made tremendous progress, unfortunately it has become clear that there is not a pathway for the bill during this legislative session,” Mr. Lee said.
The governor’s comments come as a setback to activists who had sought a voucher system allowing parents to choose the school their child will attend—whether public or private—and have their child’s share of the state education budget go towards that chosen school. Mr. Lee had voiced support for the voucher plan.
The Tennessee School Voucher Debate
Some school voucher supporters argue that such policies give students in low-performing schools a way out and give parents more control over what their children are taught. Some critics challenge the premise that school vouchers enable choices that yield better educational outcomes. Critics also argue that voucher systems risk taking money away from public school districts that may already be struggling for resources.
Mr. Lee unveiled plans last fall to pursue a school voucher plan in the 2024 legislative session. At the time, he was surrounded by the state’s Republican legislative leaders and Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who had signed into law a voucher proposal just that year and used the event to tout that a conservative education revolution was happening around the country.
Though Mr. Lee’s political party holds a supermajority in the state legislature, the topic of school vouchers did not gain traction with some members of the Republican Party.
“I’ve heard from my superintendent and specifically, verbatim, he said that ‘There’s not much in the enticements that really interest me or benefit my school,’” Republican Rep. Bryan Richey of Maryville said in a February committee hearing. “I’ve heard that from all of my school districts.”
Differing versions of a voucher plan advanced in the state House and Senate, but those bills ultimately stalled.
Lee Will Keep Trying
Tennessee lawmakers passed legislation in 2019 establishing an Education Savings Account (ESA) program. That program has directed state and local funds toward families in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and later in Hamilton County Public Schools to spend on qualifying education expenses, including tutoring services and private school tuition.The 2019 ESA bill passed by a 51-46 vote in the Tennessee State House and a 19-14 vote in the state Senate.
Despite the struggles to gain Republican support with the earlier ESA bill and now with a more comprehensive school voucher program, Mr. Lee and his allies vowed to keep pushing for vouchers in the future.
The governor said he would discuss school vouchers with primary candidates, indicating he may support candidates who are more amenable to his proposals.
“I’ve always been engaged in primaries in the state whenever there’s an election,” Lee said. “But I’ll certainly be talking to primary candidates about how they feel about school choice.”
Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said this year’s efforts towards a voucher system had made greater progress than in previous years.
“Many initiatives need multiple years, or even multiple general assemblies, before they are ripe for passage,” Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said Monday. “This is not an end, but a new beginning. Conversations will continue over the summer and fall, and we will revisit the issue next session with renewed purpose.”
Democrats in Tennessee, who widely opposed the school voucher program, celebrated after Mr. Lee pushed the issue beyond this current legislative session.
