TENNESSEE PARENTS SUE TO BLOCK $1 BILLION PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM
A group of Tennessee parents and taxpayers has filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court challenging the state’s newly enacted universal private school voucher program, the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act. Signed into law by Governor Bill Lee in February, the program provides eligible families with $7,295 publicly funded vouchers to cover private school tuition and certain educational expenses, with an estimated cost to taxpayers of approximately one billion dollars over the first five years.
The plaintiffs argue that the voucher system violates the Tennessee Constitution’s Education Clause, which mandates a single system of free public schools and an adequate education for all students, by diverting public funds to private schools that are not required to follow state curriculum standards, administer TCAP exams, provide mandated special education services, employ certified teachers, or adhere to civil rights protections.
The lawsuit further contends that these private schools can deny admission based on disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion, and that the program will drain critical resources from public schools. Represented in part by the Education Law Center, parents from Hamilton, Shelby, Blount, and Rutherford counties are named as plaintiffs, with one parent emphasizing the risk of reduced public school funding and selective private school admissions.
The state has not yet responded to the complaint.
