The upcoming legislative session in Tennessee is set to begin with a major push for universal school vouchers, signaling Governor Bill Lee’s continued focus on expanding school choice. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson plans to file the bill the day after Election Day, marking it as a top priority once again.
This effort follows the governor’s Education Freedom Scholarship proposal from last year, which stalled due to disagreements over testing and funding.
Key issues that remain unresolved include testing accountability for voucher recipients and finding common ground between the House and Senate, particularly as rural Republicans and urban Democrats have shown resistance to past proposals.
The 2025 version of the bill is expected to offer $7,000 in taxpayer funds to up to 20,000 students, expanding to all K-12 students by 2026, contingent on budget allocations.
Senate leaders are also working on removing provisions that would allow public school students to attend out-of-district schools, a policy proposed by a senator who lost his reelection bid. Meanwhile, in the House, there’s been no comment on whether they will support testing requirements for voucher recipients, a sticking point that divided the chambers last year.
The debate on vouchers has also surfaced locally, with Williamson County’s school board recently rescinding its opposition to the governor’s voucher plan, reflecting shifts in political support after a conservative PAC-backed election.
A new poll suggests growing public support for school choice, though the term voucher remains polarizing.
As Tennessee prepares for the 2025 legislative session, the question is whether lawmakers can reach a consensus on a unified bill that balances the expansion of vouchers with measures to support public education.