Summary
Tennessee lawmakers approved a major school voucher expansion, allowing 20,000 students—regardless of income—to use taxpayer funds for private schools.
Backed by Gov. Bill Lee and Donald Trump, the plan redirects $400 million in education funds, despite concerns it benefits wealthy families and weakens public schools.
Critics argue most vouchers will go to students already in private schools, and private institutions can reject disabled students.
Protesters and school boards opposed the bill, but GOP leaders defended it as expanding parental choice. The bill now awaits Lee’s signature.
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Tennessee Government: We can’t have a living wage. Also Tennessee Government: Here’s money to put kids through private school.
It costs the same to the government, so fiscally it is a wash
Educational funding in most of the USA works a bit like insurance and/or a healthy social system. Everyone pays in based on their means - creates a pool of resources - then kids get assistance/education based on needs.
The trick here is that a lot of the kids with the most need are from families with the least means. So if the ratio of kids who need extra help/resources goes up because rich families all pull their kids out, then the schools won’t have enough funding to cover the needs of the kids that are left.
That’s exacerbated by the fact that schools in most of the USA (and definitely TN: I live in Nashville) are woefully underfunded, and rely in fundraisers and parent support groups to fill the gap in funding so teachers can have even basic supplies. Again, if most of the affluent families leave, there will be fewer parents of means there to help fill the gap.
It’s another example of rich families wanting to be able to opt out of helping poor ones.
Hopefully like last time the first applicant will be a Muslim Madrasa and the Tennessee legislator will reverse it in 2 days.
