Tennessee Freedom of Education Act is passed, creates stir among educators

On Jan. 30, Tennessee General Assembly passed the Governor’s “Tennessee Education Freedom Act” despite pushback from local school boards.

The bill, which now only needs Gov. Bill Lee’s signature before becoming law, will provide vouchers for 20,000 students whose families wish to have them attend private schools rather than their local public school. Each voucher will be just over $7,000 and can be used toward tuition or other education costs such as books.

The General Assembly was in a four-day special session to discuss the issue of school vouchers, among a couple of other issues. The vote came after a lengthy debate with representatives on both sides of the issues voicing their concerns. The final vote saw Republicans split on the issue of using taxpayer money to provide private education, while Democrats were widely against the issue.

Those against the bill voiced concerns that included taking funding from Local Education Agency budgets and risks to the future funding of the Tennessee Education Lottery System. On the other hand, lawmakers in favor of the bill rallied behind the stance that it will provide parents more control over their children’s education and stood firm on the belief that it would not take funds away from current public school systems. In fact, those in favor pointed toward a provision in the bill designed to improve facilities in public school districts.

The bill allows for 20,000 “scholarships” to be given, with half of those being reserved for families who meet certain income guidelines. According to the language of the bill, the threshold is to be a “household whose income is not more than 300 percent of the amount required for the student to qualify for free or reduced lunch.”

While there will be a maximum of 20,000 vouchers issued the first year, the bill does allow for expansion should the need arise. Should a minimum of 15,000, or 75 percent of the available vouchers, be given out, additional money can be made available for up to another 5000 scholarships in the following year.

The bill passed by the slimmest of margins in both the House and the Senate. The House voted in favor by a vote of 54-45, with one representative choosing to abstain. In the Senate, there were only seven votes separating the sides with a 20-13 vote in favor.

Paul Sherrell, White County’s representative to the House of Representatives, voted against the bill, citing that he was voting on behalf of the wishes of his constituents.

“The majority of the contacts that I received were against this legislation,” Sherrell said and explained that he asked constituents of the 43rd District to contact his office regarding their opinions on the bill.

Sherrell, who is the state representative for both White and Warren counties, was also seen at school board meetings listening to the discussions being had by the local education agencies.

“I voted according to the requests of the people,” Sherrell said.

Sherrell said he had been asked by many people in the state government, including the governor, to support the bill, but that he felt obligated to the local people who had voted for him to represent their interests at the state level.

“I support school choice, which we already have,” Sherrell said and further stated that parents have always been free to choose public or private education for their children. “I don’t support my tax dollars, or your tax dollars, to pay for a student to go to a private school.”

Sherrell said he has nothing against private schools and fully supports those parents who make that choice for their families. However, he said he believes if that is the choice a family makes, it is their obligation to pay the bill and not that of the other taxpayers.

“I appreciate my constituents’ willingness to contact me and voice their opinion on this matter,” Sherrell said, stating that regardless of what other lawmakers do, he will always feel obligated to represent the interests of citizens in his districts. “I welcome any thoughts on other legislation as well. Feel free to call my office at (615) 741-1963.”

The Expositor reached out to Kurt Dronebarger, director of White County Schools, who responded with the following statement.

“First, allow me to say that while I am disappointed that the Tennessee General Assembly has passed the Governor’s Education Freedom Act of 2025, I am not against school choice,” Dronebarger said. “I support parents in making the best educational decisions for their children. Whether it be homeschooling, private school, or public school, I respect the right of parents to make the best choice.

“Secondly, I am not against competition. I believe that capitalism is a bedrock of our nation and it has fueled our economy throughout American history. However, I am vehemently against unfair competition and discrimination and that is how I view this legislation. I believe that the same rules and expectations that are shackled to public school tax dollars should be attached to those being funneled to private schools as well. Public schools are proud to offer a high-quality education to ALL students regardless of income, demographics, or disability.

“Sadly, voucher funds do not come with the same level of accountability. I have much respect for our elected officials and their service to our state, but this decision does not reflect the views of our state as a whole, and it is disrespectful to the tens of thousands of Tennessee public school teachers and administrators.

“Regardless, I sincerely want to thank the elected officials who stood firm in support of public schools, and I look forward to working with our state leaders to improve public education in the best interest of our community.”

State Senator Paul Bailey, who voted in favor of the legislation, issued the following statement.

“I’ve always been a proponent of parental choice and educational freedom, while keeping in mind our constitutional obligation to fund public education. Senate Bill 6001 empowers parents to select the educational path that best suits their child’s unique needs. Education is not a one-size-fits all endeavor. Each child has their own learning style and pace. While I acknowledge this legislation does have flaws – it serves as a starting point that can be refined over time. My primary focus has always been on protecting our rural school districts and ensuring they maintain their current funding levels. This law guarantees no school will face a reduction in funding as a result of Education Freedom Scholarships. This safeguard means funding to school districts will remain stable, even in the event of student disenrollment.

“Tennessee has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to public education, investing over $3.35 billion in the past decade alone. This includes the largest teacher pay increase in our state’s history in 2023, with an ambitious goal of establishing a $50,000 minimum starting salary for teachers by the 2026 – 2027 school year. During the Special Session, we also allocated $198.4 million for teacher bonuses and $62.7 million for K-12 infrastructure – reflecting our dedication to supporting educators and improving school facilities.

“Additionally, this morning [Jan. 31], I filed Senate Bill 602, although currently a caption bill, it will ensure teacher evaluations are reflective of only the students they have directly taught and not those who leave and return to the school district or transfer into the school district from out of State. I have discussed this legislation with both the Governor and Senate leadership and look forward to partnering with them in the upcoming weeks to pass this legislation in the General Assembly.

“Together, we can create an educational landscape respecting both parental choice and the integrity of public education.”  

The public weighed in on The Expositor Facebook page with a mixed reaction to the news.

One reader said they feel the law will hurt public schools and special programs alike. They went on to say that private schools will be “publicly funded but not publicly regulated” and that the new law will be “bad for an already struggling public school system.”

Another reader said that “competition is a good thing” and insinuated that making it easier for families to choose other options should “cause/help public schools to improve.”

Another commentor said the answer to the education problems is not money, but rather involvement. “I’m only sure about two things concerning vouchers, they will raise tuition, and they won’t solve the problem with education. I support empowering parents, but they need to be involved first, and I’m not sure this bill will actually help to empower anyone except those invested in private schools.”

“A lot of our counties don’t even have private schools,” another reader pointed out. “We will still all be paying taxes towards it though. Those counties will lose funding to public schools while wealthy people get vouchers for schools they can already afford.”

Another person pointed out that the threshold for the low-income families is not a realistic number.

“Supposedly a portion of the vouchers are to go to low-income students, which they define a family of four making an income of $170,000. Does that sound like low income to you? In our area? In our district?” they said. “The ‘poor’ students and families in our area will not be able to pay the difference between what the voucher gives them and what private school actually costs. And that is if private school actually accepts them and if they find one CLOSE enough to go to on a daily basis.”

Another individual pointed out the money could be used to improve the current education system rather than to help people transfer out of it.

“The folks who voted yes on this scam of a bill want to talk about test scores and proficiency in math and reading but have no interest in working over our current public education system and paying public educators a decent wage because it would be too costly.”