As a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization committed to promoting educational opportunity and justice for all students, EdTrust-Tennessee remains opposed to vouchers, and stands in opposition to HB0001/SB0001, the pair of identical bills introduced today proposing an expansion to Tennessee’s school voucher program. This legislation threatens to direct crucial public funds to private institutions, undermining the very foundation of an equitable, accessible public education across our state.
This bill was filed just one day after critical elections concluded, where vouchers were soundly defeated on ballots in other states. Vouchers originated as an act of resistance to school desegregation, and today they perpetuate similar inequities. Private schools, shielded from federal civil rights protections, are free to retain selective admission standards, excluding students based on ability, income, and background. The reality remains that vouchers are more accessible to wealthier families, with low-income families often unable to afford additional costs beyond a voucher’s partial coverage of tuition. Vouchers are now widely understood to be a failed policy in terms of addressing and improving student outcomes, while simultaneously destabilizing the funding our public schools need to succeed, which was at the root of their dramatic rejection by voters in Kentucky, Colorado and Nebraska this week. The timing could not be more pressing. Tennessee’s public education system has made great strides, scoring our highest graduation rates to date, and seeing marked improvement in student achievement after the pandemic. Diverting funds now risks unraveling this progress, affecting rural and underserved communities most severely, where private school options are limited or nonexistent. The bill would not only diminish public school funding but also leave behind the families, staff and communities whose futures depend on that funding.
Now more than ever, we must prioritize robust, transparent investments in our public schools, ensuring every child has the chance to succeed. Instead of diverting resources, let us focus on expanding opportunities within our public education system which serves nine out of 10 students in Tennessee, and which continues to be the bedrock of our communities and our democracy. We urge legislators to stand with Tennessee’s students, families, and educators in protecting and advancing public education for all.
Explore the new EdTrust advocate voucher toolkit and see our past EdTrust-Tennessee voucher resource hub, where we will continue to update our resources in response to the new proposal.
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