NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a bitter two-year fight in the Tennessee legislature over school vouchers, the program is now rolling out to enroll more students in private schools who don't feel their needs are being met in public school.
But some lawmakers have deep concerns about how the program is being implemented, particularly around data collection and accountability.
The main critique, as Chalkbeat first reported, Tennessee won't actually know how many of their 20,000 voucher recipients were previously enrolled in a private school before they were selected because that wasn't asked on the application form.
"This is something every other state does; it makes complete sense to ask," said Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville). "We're really flying blind right now with not having this baseline data."
Tennessee has previously operated a voucher program, called the Education Savings Account, that only applied to Davidson and Shelby counties. In that program, the state did ask where a child was previously enrolled.
Governor Bill Lee defended the decision not to ask about enrollment in the statewide program on Tuesday. "It's not required by the legislation, so it would be — it's not necessary to have," said Lee.
According to the Governor's Office, more than 40,000 applications have been submitted for the 20,000 available slots, and about half came from families that qualify based on the income requirements. For a family of four, that means a household income of less than $174,000. "The program was intended to benefit all Tennesseans," said Lee.
But the governor said that in the long run, it doesn't matter to him whether families can already afford private school or not. "What we hope for is universal school choice, where every family, regardless of their child's past educational history, has access to a scholarship," said Lee.
For Hemmer, releasing this data helps him and others hold the program accountable. "I think taxpayers want to know this is being used effectively, and we won't know that because we won't know the baseline," said Rep. Hemmer.
Rep. Jody Barrett, a Dickson Republican who voted against vouchers, also expressed major concerns about the program's implementation. "Information about who is applying for and receiving the vouchers, particularly where they live, where they were previously enrolled, and where they are going to spend these tax dollars, is vital to the legislature's oversight of this program," said Barrett in a statement. "This isn't about whether or not we voted for or against the bill. Now, it's about whether or not the program is effective in delivering the educational freedom that was promised. It's about whether the numbers add up."
He concluded with a warning: "At the end of the day, math is not partisan. If we have to create a new DOGE-type committee to audit the department and this program specifically, I am prepared to draft and file that legislation. Tennessee taxpayers expect and deserve full transparency from their government."
Do you have questions about how Tennessee's new school voucher program might impact your family or local schools? Reach out directly to Chris Davis at chris.davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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