FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — In 2019, Sen. Jack Johnson said using tax dollars to pay for private schools would not come to Williamson County at the time. Now, four years later, he says he supports Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to use tax dollars to help families pay for private schools.
Watch the announcement of the plan in the player above.
Johnson said in 2019, he only meant education savings accounts — commonly known as vouchers — would not enter his home county that year. He said he never intended for people to believe vouchers would never come to Williamson County, which has the highest-performing school district in the state and a special school district not far behind.
"I don’t expect there to be a lot of impact on Williamson County. All three of my kids attend Williamson County public schools. I don’t see a lot of need or demand among some of the people who are in public schools. I don’t expect a mass exodus to utilize this program."
However, this has left school leaders in Williamson County and the Franklin Special School district puzzled. Board members thought never meant never. Johnson speaks to elected leaders in Williamson at the beginning of every year, including both school boards. He said he looked forward to hearing what both districts thought of the governor's plan when he meets with them in January.
What's the statewide plan proposed?
Lee's new proposal for an Education Freedom Scholarship Act would provide an estimated $7,000 per student beginning in the 2024-25 school year, according to the one-pager obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
According to the summary, in the first year, only students who are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, have a disability, or are eligible for the existing ESA pilot program could take part in the program.
Beginning in 2025-26, the plan calls for "universal eligibility for all students entitled to attend a public school."
Funding would be provided "for a minimum of 10,000 scholarships, increasing over time until all Tennessee students who desire a scholarship are awarded one."
What Williamson Co. leaders think about vouchers
Williamson County School Board members started hearing about the plan for statewide school privatization dollars when NewsChannel 5 Investigates published details about the proposed plan.
Lee confirmed those plans on Tuesday.
"The first voucher proposal was passed by then-House Speaker Glen Casada. This was prior to him being indicted in his kickbacks and conspiracies scheme," District 10 board member Eric Welch said. "I remember our state legislative delegation said at the time they would do everything in their power to keep it out of WCS. Now the governor is coming out with the proposal to spread it statewide."
The potential private school dollars from taxpayers would be more than the base rate the state provides for per-pupil spending. Currently, Williamson County Schools receive around $3,800, and part of that figure is based on student population. That is barely half of what the proposed $7,000 would be for families to take to private institutions.
When asked by NewsChannel 5, Johnson said the education spending accounts weren't created with the idea of students in Williamson County, where the average household income is more than $100,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
However, he said didn't believe in an income cap, noting he knew of families taking on additional employment to send their child to private schools in Williamson County. Tuition for private schools in Williamson County is on average more than $20,000 a year for students.
"The state has a base amount that they give that public schools and they give us a fractional amount for us," WCS Superintendent Jason Golden said. "What do those funds mean for us? We have a lot of questions."
How Johnson sees it playing out
Johnson remains a leader in the Senate as the majority leader, and he carried the current education savings account plan in 2019.
He said he supports what Lee proposed, but he expects the plan to change as it makes its way through the legislature. He said parents are still angry from COVID-19 lockdowns and masks. He added not all students are the same, meaning every student has different needs within the classroom, which the $7,000 to attend a private school could help address.
"There is tremendous support for this in the Senate," Johnson said.
But in the House, there was bipartisan support against educational savings accounts in 2019. Twenty-two Republicans voted against them, including now-House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Franklin lawmaker Rep. Sam Whitson.
When asked how Republicans in general would rally together for support, Johnson said he would leave Republican support in the House to his colleagues on that end of the legislature, like his newer colleague Rep. Jake McCalmon, R-Franklin. McCalmon won the seat held by Casada for two decades.
"I'm the proud father of three Williamson County public school students who are thriving, but as the husband of a preschool teacher, I'm keenly aware that education is not one-size-fits-all," McCalmon said. "I absolutely support school choice, and I'm confident we can improve school choice in Tennessee while continuing to support public education. I'm looking forward to digging further into the governor's proposal and working together to ensure that every child in Tennessee has access to an education that fits their unique needs."
The House lawmakers who opposed education savings accounts in 2019 were by and large rural lawmakers.
He said he understood private schools were not always available in rural areas. Most rural counties don't have the number of private schools in their counties as does Williamson County.
"None of us are suggesting that every kid will have access to a private school or a private school that fits their needs," Johnson said. "But they are still within a 20-minute or 30-minute drive to a city near them. We have to understand have unique learning needs and we should help provide quality education for that kid. Why that is so problematic I don't understand."
What is the governor wanting?
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced in 2023 his desire to expand vouchers to all 95 counties across the state.
Lee's plan — which he is calling "Freedom Educational Scholarships" — will provide thousands of dollars for students to attend private schools.
Lee's new proposal for an Education Freedom Scholarship Act would provide an estimated $7,000 per student beginning in the 2024-25 school year, according to the one-pager obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
According to the summary, in the first year, only students who are at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, have a disability or are eligible for the existing ESA pilot program could take part in the program.
Beginning in 2025-26, the plan calls for "universal eligibility for all students entitled to attend a public school."
What is Tennessee's current voucher program?
Tennessee's current education savings account is only for three parts of the state: Davidson, Hamilton and Shelby Counties.
Enacted in 2019 by the legislature, it established a program for students to receive money directly for their education rather than a public school system to pay for private education. The vote was contentious with then-Speaker Glen Casada, passing only by one vote with the board held for more than 40 minutes. Now-House Speaker Cameron Sexton didn't vote for the program.
However, the program didn't start until 2022 because of a lawsuit in the chancery court, where those who didn't want the program deemed it unconstitutional. An order was placed in 2020 that the program couldn't begin. Two years later, a three-judge panel lifted an injunction two weeks before the 2022 school year to allow the program to move forward.
The Tennessee Department of Education officials said in summer 2022 they were "excited to restart work" for families and students. During the injunction, the department couldn't work on preparation plans for the ESAs.
Students now have $9,000 to use toward a school, where they could also apply for financial aid to supplement the rest of the cost.
