Homeschoolers voice concern, questions over Tennessee school vouchers

Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to expand a program offering taxpayer-funded vouchers for families to offset private schooling costs in Tennessee has some homeschoolers concerned over how it may affect them.

Some members of the homeschool community have opposed the idea of vouchers including them, worrying that it would extend government control into their homes — even if they don’t accept the vouchers. Others see no harm in including homeschools in the plan.

The state House and Senate versions of the bill supporting Lee's plan are vastly different, including when it comes to homeschools, which has added to some of the confusion and concern over vouchers.

Here’s what to know about the proposed bills and what homeschoolers and lawmakers have said about them.

School vouchers: TN House, Senate panels advance vastly different plans for expansion

What the House, Senate voucher bills say about homeschools

The House version specifically excludes all homeschool students from qualifying for vouchers under the proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Act. That includes those who attend church-related homeschools — something added to the bill after an amendment was adopted last week.

"Homeschoolers are totally written out of this bill," Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, who chairs the House Education Administration Committee, said last month.

But while the Senate version includes language that disqualifies students who are enrolled in homeschool from the voucher program, it does allow students enrolled in church-related schools. Since Tennessee allows homeschools to operate under church-related schools, that means some homeschool students could qualify for vouchers under the Senate bill.

Conversation about that provision surfaced as the Senate advanced its version of the bill this month. Several homeschooling families were present during the Senate Education Committee hearing on March 6 to oppose the bill. They were concerned it would apply state testing requirements to their students.

Senate Education Committee Chair Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, said homeschool students would only be subject to testing requirements if they opt-in for state funds.

"If you don’t want the funds, there is no change," Lundberg said.

Homeschoolers weigh in on voucher bill

Tiffany Boyd, who founded the organization Free Your Children, spoke at a Feb. 27 House K-12 Subcommittee hearing on the bill. The organization’s website lists Boyd as a homeschool advocate, former public school teacher, consultant and speaker.

Boyd said she worries the proposal would dictate what homeschools teach and how they test learning. She also worried the language could later be amended to apply requirements to all homeschoolers, even if they don’t accept the vouchers. She said true private education can't exist in Tennessee if the government gets involved in it.

"The public was told the bill would not come with strings. It does," she said. "We know and understand that what the government funds, it runs."

Candyce Roberson said she appreciates both sides of the argument over including homeschools in the bill. She previously homeschooled her children while dividing her time working as a public school teacher and now teaches at a private school, where her children also attend.

“I think that, speaking in general, homeschool parents prefer less legislation in relation to homeschooling, not more,” she said. “However, in this case ... I don’t see the downside for homeschool parents who choose not to participate.”

Where Tennessee's voucher expansion bill stands

While the House and Senate both advanced their companion bills for the voucher expansion, the two versions of the bill are vastly different.

On March 6, the Senate Education Committee passed SB503, a version of Gov. Bill Lee's voucher expansion plan, with additional accountability measures. The version also allows "open enrollment to any school," permitting students to attend public schools outside of the districts for which they're zoned.

That same night, the House Education Administration committee passed its version of the bill with a 39-page amendment that would also overhaul Tennessee's standardized testing requirements for public school students, make changes to teacher and principal accountability, and shut down the state’s Achievement School District by 2026. However, it does not include testing requirements for students who accept vouchers.

The future of the legislation is unclear as GOP leadership in both chambers appears unwilling to compromise thus far.

What's next, where to learn more

The Senate bill, SB503, now goes to the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee. A date had not been set for that committee meeting as of March 14. The House version, HB1183, goes to the Government Operations Committee on March 18.

Want to follow along? Go to capitol.tn.gov and enter either bill HB1183 or SB503 into the search box at the top right to view the latest actions and plans for the legislation.

Visit tn.gov/education/families/school-options to learn more about Tennessee's Education Savings Account program, along with public, private and homeschool options in the state.

Reach children's reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN school voucher expansion: Homeschoolers voice concern, questions