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Gov. Bill Lee wants Tennessee lawmakers to invest more than $155 million into the state’s voucher program, which would double the Education Freedom Scholarships pool from 20,000 to 40,000 private school vouchers.
Lee’s proposed budget also would more than double the costs of the program and blow past the expansion cap lawmakers voted on last year, growing the program beyond its original limits despite little data to indicate the program is impacting student achievement.
If Lee achieves his goal, Tennessee would spend more than $303 million in public dollars next fiscal year to help send 40,000 students to private schools across the state.
“Last year, we gave families school choice with the Education Freedom Scholarship program, because parents know best,” Lee said Monday night at his final State of the State address. “Clearly, Tennesseans like freedom. Last year, we received more than 40,000 applications, and this year, 54,000 applications so far for 20,000 spots. That means, right now, 34,000 students are still waiting for a shot at Education Freedom. We owe it to them.”
The proposed EFS program costs would be a fraction of the overall $7.9 billion proposed for the K-12 education budget. But the voucher expansion would account for one-third of the state’s total year-over-year increase in education funding.
In his budget proposal released on Monday, Lee called for nearly $380 million of new funds for K-12 education in the state. Though the total K-12 budget has grown, it is the lowest proposed new spending infusion for education in the last five years.
Lee on Monday indicated voucher expansion will be a major legislative goal in his final year in office. He introduced special guest Milton Nettles, who is the principal of Lighthouse Christian Academy in Antioch.
“Once a public school teacher himself, he believes parents know best, and he’s seen hundreds of students find their fit at Lighthouse and parents who have a choice, at last,” Lee said, noting 77% of Lighthouse’s students are using EFS vouchers. “Still, he says, it isn’t enough, and I agree. Growing the program would open the doors of opportunity for thousands more children statewide.”
Despite the governor’s push to solidify his voucher legacy before leaving office, it may be an uphill battle in the legislature to achieve his aggressive goal, even among school choice-friendly Republicans.
The General Assembly will have little wiggle room in the upcoming budget and fewer dollars to spend on new initiatives. Lee’s proposed overall state budget is nearly 10% smaller than the current fiscal year’s, which finance officials said is largely due to expiring federal funds but is also occurring amid a slowing Tennessee economy.
Lawmakers would also have to alter their original plans for the program. Republicans last year approved the program with an expansion cap that only allowed the state to add 5,000 vouchers this year if there was enough demand in applications.
Lee wants those 5,000 new vouchers plus an additional 15,000, which will require new legislation to enact.
House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said in January he thinks there’s support for the expected 5,000 new vouchers but was skeptical about a more aggressive expansion.
“There will be some spirited debate about growing it from that,” Faison, who is not seeking reelection this year, said. “I would say that it’ll just be a debate. I don’t necessarily see that taking place other than just following the groundwork that we laid last year.”
Lee’s budget proposal will bump up Tennessee teacher pay, increasing the minimum annual teacher salary from $47,000 to $50,000. This would achieve a 2023 pledge to increase their base pay.
Other K-12 budget increases include a $170 million infusion to the public education funding formula, $40 million for the charter school facilities fund, and a $2.6 million increase to reimburse local districts for paid parental leave.
Lee’s budget is also rolling forward $80 million for the public education funding formula from this fiscal year, which finance officials said was left over after public school enrollment was lower than expected this year.
Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Democrat from Nashville, said he was concerned the increases to the public education funding formula isn’t keeping up with inflation increases in recent years.
“It’s deeply troubling to me that we’re talking about doubling the size of a program that is brand new, and we’re not even keeping public school funding up to par with inflation,” Yarbro said during a Tuesday budget presentation.
Lee also wants $5 million to fund summer learning camps. In November, Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds asked the governor for $30 million for the program, pointing to measurable academic gains for the 90,000 students enrolled last year.
School-based summer learning camps are one of several promotion pathways rising fourth graders can use to move on from third grade if they don’t hit the benchmarks required by the state’s third grade reading law.
Melissa Brown is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact Melissa at mbrown@chalkbeat.org.
