Tennessee school voucher bill failure: Supporters, opponents react

Reactions from supporters and opponents alike poured in Monday after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee confirmed a bill to expand a controversial school voucher program has failed, despite last-ditch efforts to save it.

The plan aimed to eventually allow all K-12 students in Tennessee to apply for taxpayer-funded school vouchers to offset private school costs, regardless of income. The state currently has a program that offers vouchers in a handful of districts and carries income restrictions for families. Lee said that despite "tremendous progress" on the bill during the current legislative session, there was no pathway forward for the bill, known as the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.

"I am extremely disappointed for the families who will have to wait yet another year for the freedom to choose the right education for their child, especially when there is broad agreement that now is the time to bring universal school choice to Tennessee," Lee said in a statement early Monday.

Here's what people had to say as the news spread Monday.

'Extremely disappointed': Tennessee school voucher bill dead for the year, governor says

'This was won by everyday people'

Liv Cook, the public education campaign organizer with Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, also known as SOCM, said she was celebrating the news Monday morning. She said SOCM mobilized people statewide to put pressure on legislators and combat what she called "big private interests" to defeat the school voucher bill.

"I just want people to know that when we come together, we can win," she said. "This was won by everyday people — parents, neighbors, students, faith leaders across the state through the Tennessee For All Coalition ... We're going to keep working for the things we know our schools need, because we know this is just one piece of a larger equation to defund and undermine our public schools."

SOCM is part of Tennessee For All, a larger coalition that pushed against the voucher bill. The coalition is made up of community, labor and faith organizations statewide. It called the failure of the bill a "victory for all Tennesseans" and also cited the work of thousands statewide who sent emails, held meetings and town halls, hosted people for visits to the Capitol and supported school board resolutions against the measure.

"The governor’s voucher scam would have diverted money from our already underfunded public schools, doing immeasurable harm to every community in our state," the coalition said in a statement. "Every child in Tennessee deserves to have a chance to succeed through strong public schools. We are one step closer to this vision with the defeat of this voucher scam. We will continue to fight to increase funding to every public school so communities can have more resources, restorative accountability measures, less reliance on high-stakes testing, and better paid educators and school support staff."

Tennessee Education Association: 'Today is a great day'

The Tennessee Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, has staunchly opposed vouchers and the push to expand them.

TEA President Tanya T. Coats released a statement Monday on the measure's failure:

“90% of Tennessee’s students are educated in public schools, and today is a great day for them and their parents," part of the statement read. "On behalf of our students, I want to thank the legislators who stood strong for our state’s children. I also want to thank the thousands of Tennesseans, including their local elected officials, who were moved to speak out against the governor’s proposal, and who I’m sure would do it all again in a heartbeat. We’ve seen a lot of bad voucher policies passed around the country, and none of them have lived up to the promise of benefitting parents and students."

Poll: Tennessee voucher expansion opposed by 55% of Republican primary voters

Pro-voucher groups share disappointment, plans to continue efforts

Americans for Prosperity, a conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch brothers, ramped up efforts and staffing to support Lee's push to expand vouchers. It hired more than 100 part-time staffers and created targeted mailers, billboards and digital ads.

AFP-Tennessee director Tori Venable released a statement after Lee confirmed the bill had failed Monday. She said she'd continue the fight to make vouchers available for all Tennesseans.

"Throughout this campaign, our grassroots team has knocked over 85,700 doors. We’ve heard from families across the state who want more options and more control over their children’s education," Venable said. "School choice matters. Parents, not the government, will always know what is best for their children."

Previously: Americans for Prosperity, school choice groups assemble army to push for voucher expansion

She said her team has worked to help students in the state's "worst performing schools" get vouchers through the state's existing Education Savings Account program in recent years.

"Still, too many children are being left behind, and we will not stop fighting for all students until we see legislation passed," Venable said in her statement. "How long must our kids wait?"

ExcelinEd, a Florida-based think tank founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush that has backed school vouchers nationwide, also released a statement Monday.

"Across the nation, we are seeing more states empower families with educational choice," Miranda Williams, who oversees regional advocacy in the Southeast for ExcelinEd, said in the statement. "I am proud of the great strides Tennessee leaders have made to give all families the opportunity to find the best education environment for their child and we look forward to getting universal Education Freedom Scholarships across the finish line next year."

Notably, Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds previously served as the organization's vice president of policy. Williams also praised the leadership of both Reynolds and Lee.

The American Federation for Children, a pro-school choice national organization, also offered a statement on the bill's failure. The organization was founded and substantially funded by former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who served under former President Donald Trump.

"We are severely disappointed to see the failure of Tennessee legislators to advance education freedom, but our disappointment pales in comparison to that of parents who must now wait again for promises that have been unmet," AFC senior fellow and Nashville resident Shaka Mitchell said in the statement. "Voters have shown in Iowa, Texas and dozens of states around the country that when they are informed that their representatives chose special interest unions over school choice for parents, they will vote accordingly. The American Federation for Children and our political affiliates look forward to informing Tennessee voters of these positions over the coming months."

Williamson County Schools director hopeful for future

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Jason Golden released the following statement Monday:

"Regarding the governor's announcement that there will be no vote this year on any voucher bills, we appreciate our legislators for thoughtfully coming to this conclusion. Public schools serve all students in their communities, and my hope is that our governor and legislature will work with public school leaders to find ways to build on the successes of our students and teachers."

MNPS board chair, members weigh in

Metro Nashville Public Schools leaders, including Director Adrienne Battle, have been vocal opponents of school vouchers for years. MNPS and Shelby County Schools took the state to court over its existing school vouchers.

"Nashville, along with Memphis and Chattanooga, are keenly aware that education vouchers are not what is best for Tennessee’s student outcomes, economy, nor our public schools," MNPS board chair Rachael Anne Elrod said in a statement. "I am glad they did not expand across the rest of the state, but education vouchers are still bad policy and practice currently forced upon us."

Elrod urged those who worked against the expansion to enjoy their summers but also to prepare for the next legislative session.

"True 'educational freedom' can only be reached through supporting and fully funding public schools," Elrod said. "It is well worth fighting for and I have been so encouraged and proud to see that work being done this year."

Abigail Tylor, a member of the MNPS Board of Education, posted on X as news of the bill's failure spread.

"It will inevitably come back next session, but there are elections between now and then," she wrote. "Your vote matters more than ever — make sure you vote for law makers who support public education!"

Berthena Nabba-McKinney also weighed in on X.

"Collective power at work," she wrote, followed by a reminder for people to vote.

Parent encouraged by voucher bill's failure

Dustin Park, a parent of three school-age children in Maryville, said he took a moment to reflect as news of the expansion failure reached him Monday morning. As the parent of a teenage son with special needs, Park had deep concerns over what vouchers meant for children with disabilities.

Critics of the measure frequently pointed to the use of the word "choice" by advocates, saying it doesn't empower parents to choose but rather allows private schools to pick which students to admit or reject. Unlike public schools, private schools are not required to enroll students regardless of their academic standing, disabilities or other factors.

Park said he's read the entirety of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as he's learned to advocate for his son, Elliott.

"It’s a really great law that ensures that kids with disabilities have the right to an education," he said. "I saw this bill as a direct attack on that."

Beacon Center: 'Deeply disappointed'

Justin Owen, CEO of conservative-leaning think tank Beacon Center of Tennessee, said he and his team will continue to stand with all who championed the voucher expansion, including families and legislators.

"We are deeply disappointed that at a time when school choice legislation is being passed across the country and support among voters is at an all-time high, the Tennessee legislature could not create a path forward on the ESA bill," Owen said in a statement. "While opponents of education freedom continue to focus on adults, tens of thousands of children will suffer as a result. These families deserve options, and they deserve them now, not next year or the one after that. That said, this fight is not over, and the legislators who opposed educational options for children across the state are mistaken if they think they’ve won."

'Political theatrics'

JC Bowman, who leads Professional Educators of Tennessee, said the bill, like many legislative proposals, got "entangled in political theatrics." He also said Lee's proposal was poorly written, proposed too late and failed to include accountability measures.

"Both chambers understood the long-term financial implications of the plan and tried to address weaknesses," Bowman said in an email to The Tennessean. "The Tennessee House of Representatives tried to address long-standing issues hurting public schools, like excessive testing. Still, no matter how much money out-of-state interest groups poured into the state, citizens saw the legislation as an entitlement for students already attending private schools that would continue to grow and impact state finances."

Voucher advocate applauds leaders, looks to next session

Victor Evans, who leads the Tennessee Campaign for Achievement Now, has supported the push to expand vouchers and said he looks forward to supporting future efforts.

"We applaud Governor Lee and so many legislative leaders for their efforts to help ensure that all Tennessee students and families, no matter their income or zip code, have greater choices for a high-quality education," Evans said in an emailed statement. "While the legislation to enact the Education Freedom Scholarships came up short this session, we are pleased that the funding is now in place and that the General Assembly now has time to perfect and pass the program in the next session."

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: Tennessee school voucher bill fails as supporters, opponents react