FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2026
CONTACT
Breana Staten, tnmedia@edtrust.org
Hamp Price, media@tnimmigrant.org
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two bills that could challenge Plyler v. Doe, the landmark Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing every child’s right to a free public education, are advancing in the Tennessee legislature. The Education for All-Tennessee coalition continues to call on legislators to reject these bills.
“Every child in Tennessee has a right to learn, a place in the classroom, and the opportunity to thrive no matter where they were born or how their family came to call Tennessee home,” said the Education for All-Tennessee Steering Committee. “For decades, Plyler has established that access to education is the foundation of equal opportunity. Now, Tennessee lawmakers are advancing bills that threaten to divide our schools, burden educators, and strip away a student’s right to learn. Every child in Tennessee has a fundamental right to a seat in the classroom, and we will not stop fighting until that promise is protected for all.”
HB793, which would deny enrollment and/or charge tuition to students unable to prove immigration status, is calendared for March 4 in the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee. Last year, while the Senate passed SB 836, the Education for All-Tennessee coalition halted the progression of HB793 in the House during the 2025 legislative session.
Now HB 793/SB 836 has returned alongside a new bill, HB 1711/SB 2108, calendared in the House State & Local Government Committee.
With a proposed amendment, the new bill would require schools to check the immigration status of every student, not just immigrant students. This bill could bury schools in administrative burdens and divert time and resources away from what matters most: high-quality instruction. The proposed amendment also contains a trigger provision aimed at overturning Plyler and passing HB793/SB836.
Together, these bills represent escalating attempts to challenge Plyler, and if successful schools nationwide could be forced to deny free public education to all children regardless of their immigration status.
These bills have generated widespread opposition across Tennessee. More than 4,500 emails and 2,500 phone calls have been made to lawmakers, and hundreds of Tennesseans have shown up at the Capitol to make their voices heard. Business owners, faith leaders, and educators have spoken out against the measures, and multiple local school boards have adopted resolutions in opposition, including Murfreesboro City Schools, Franklin County Schools, Hamilton County Schools, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and Knox County Schools.
Below are individual statements from steering committee leaders of the Education for All-Tennessee coalition:
“The research is clear: restricting access to public education harms students, schools, and communities,” said Alexza Barajas Clark, Executive Director of EdTrust-Tennessee. “When children are pushed out of classrooms or schools are buried in unnecessary administrative burdens, academic outcomes suffer. These bills don’t strengthen our schools, they fracture them. Tennessee policymakers should be investing in solutions that give every child the support they need to succeed, not creating barriers that hold them back.”
“It doesn’t matter where our kids were born, which part of the state they live in, or how much money their parents make, all Tennessee children deserve to attend public school without fear of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination,” stated Lisa Sherman Luna, Executive Director of Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. “Yet these lawmakers want to create a world where families are afraid to send their kids to school and where they turn our neighbors into our enemies. This is why they are trying to force their divisive vision of Tennessee on all of us. But we see past their claims and can see what their agenda is really about, dividing us while they refuse to fully fund our public schools or enact policies that help us build a good life for our families. Tennesseans are more opposed than ever to their harmful policies that target our children, standing up and speaking out in support of their immigrant neighbors and declaring that education is for all and all children deserve the freedom to learn, no exceptions.”
“Regardless of race, class, ability, or status, all of our children deserve access to a high quality public education in the communities where they live and play,” says Minda Begley, Knox County parent leader from SOCM’s Public School Strong campaign. “Across the state, ordinary Tennesseans are not buying into the division these bills create. We know that our communities are stronger when every kid knows they belong at their school and has the resources they need to thrive. Rather than divesting from our children’s futures or limiting their opportunities, state lawmakers should instead focus on seeking real solutions that fund our schools, support our students, and strengthen our communities.”
“Civil rights advocates have fought for generations to open the schoolhouse door. When we allow any child to be turned away from a classroom, we repeat a history we swore to leave behind,” said Gloria Sweet-Love, President at the Tennessee NAACP. ” Every child has a right to education, and we must not abandon this foundation of opportunity for families across Tennessee and the nation.”
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About Education for All-Tennessee
The Education for All-Tennessee coalition believes everyone in the U.S. should have the freedom to thrive – to be safe in our communities, to care and provide for our families, and to contribute to our country in our own unique ways. Parents work hard to give their children an opportunity for a better future, and a chance to provide for themselves. The foundation of that opportunity is access to education.
Created in 2025, Education for All-Tennessee continues to build a broad, deep, and powerful movement to defend the right to public education for every child, regardless of immigration status.
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