TN school voucher bill dead for the year: 'I am extremely disappointed,' governor says

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s signature proposal for a statewide school voucher program is dead for the year, with Lee acknowledging there is no way forward for the legislation despite last-ditch negotiations through the weekend to revive the stalled bill.

The school choice legislation, a longtime priority for Lee, stumbled out of the gate over vast differences between dueling Senate and House versions, in addition to significant pushback from local public school stakeholders across the state.

“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 an early Monday statement. "While we made tremendous progress, unfortunately it has become clear that there is not a pathway for the bill during this legislative session."

Once lawmakers adjourn for the year, this version of the legislation will be permanently dead, as a new General Assembly will be sworn in after elections this fall. The governor could call the legislature back for a special legislative session to take up the matter, though doing so would likely not be welcomed, as it would call lawmakers off the campaign trail.

Lee plans to pursue the program again next year. He said Monday negotiations came "very close" to a final version, and he expects work will continue over the summer to determine what a new version of the legislation should look like.

“I want to thank the thousands of parents and students who made their voices heard, and I have never been more motivated to provide them with the ability to choose what’s best for their family. I also want to thank the speakers and leaders of both chambers for their commitment to pursuing education freedom next year," Lee said. “It’s very simple — this is about every Tennessee student having the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their ZIP code or income level, and without question, empowering parents is the best way to make sure that happens.”

Republican lawmakers did not find the effort quite as simple as the governor.

While Lee announced his vision for the program in November, he delayed releasing specific details on the plan until well into 2024. By that time, House and Senate Republicans had devised vastly different versions of the plan, and each chamber appeared entrenched in their positions.

The House GOP version sought to make sweeping reforms to public school testing requirements, teacher and principal performance assessments, and increase the state’s contribution to teacher health benefits — in addition to establishing the $144 million voucher program.

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Senate Republicans wanted to require students who participate in the program to take achievement testing, and allow out-of-county public school enrollment. Lee pushed for establishing a voucher program without testing requirements.

Democrats have long opposed the program, likening the voucher program to "coupons" for wealthy families who already send their children private school, and warned it could endanger funding for public schools.

Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, said Monday vouchers in other states have a "terrible record," citing performance issues at private schools and a lack of accountability measures.

"Instead of throwing millions into a program that isn’t effective, let’s invest more in our public schools to give students the tools they need to be successful," Akbari said in a lengthy social media statement. "Let’s talk about real solutions that work — spending more per pupil, paying teachers more, providing more academic supports for reading and math. Let’s make sure that rural and urban schools have the same resources as their wealthier suburban peers. We can and should do better."

Dozens of school boards — many in conservative parts of the state — and other local officials, along with major teachers groups, opposed the bill.

“90% of Tennessee’s students are educated in public schools, and today is a great day for them and their parents," Tennessee Education Association President Tanya Coats said in a statement.

Despite Republican leaders frequently signaling optimism for the negotiations, the bill was constantly delayed in committees. For months, there has been little public indication that any significant progress was made toward a compromise.

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Last week, rumors swirled that negotiations had fallen apart, with Republican lawmakers anticipating an imminent statement from Lee acknowledging the bill was dead. However, things quickly turned as leadership insisted talks were ongoing.

But the passage of budget bills on Thursday complicated negotiations, and the weekend was the make-or-break deadline for lawmakers eager to end session and turn their attention to their reelection efforts.

Lee said as late as April 11 that he was “very encouraged and very confident that we are going to move forward with the legislation,” and said he “feels like they’re close,” but offered no specifics.

While the governor has vocally supported school choice, he has created little public pressure on Republican colleagues to drive the legislation forward ― opting instead to address differences behind closed doors.

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Failure for the Education Freedom Scholarships bill this year marks the second major issue Lee has been unsuccessful in pushing through the General Assembly, a body increasingly marked by fundamental disagreements between the upper and lower chambers.

Last year, Lee asked lawmakers to pass legislation to establish an extreme risk protection order policy to keep guns out of the hands of people whom a court has deemed a danger to themselves or others. Lawmakers refused in the last days of the 2023 legislative session to do so and the legislation was never formally introduced.

When Lee called them back for a special session later last year, no Republican filed the governor's proposal.

Vivian Jones and Melissa Brown cover state politics and government for The Tennessean. Reach them at [email protected] and [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee statewide school choice program dead for the year, Lee says