Jack Powers, an education choice advocate for ExcelinEd, is celebrating the Tennessee Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 12/House Bill 433, which expands the current education savings account (ESA) program to more counties, giving more families eligibility.
The bill was supposed to add Hamilton and Knox County, but Knox was removed last minute. ESAs are becoming more popular at the state level, as a majority of families are supportive of alternative options for school.
"With today’s passage of SB0012/HB0433, families in Hamilton County can now participate in the state’s ESA program," Powers tweeted April 21. "Thank you Sen. (Todd) Gardenhire (R-TN) and Rep. Mark White (R-TN) for expanding school choice to thousands of additional Tennessee families!"
According to The Center Square, the bill written by White was supposed to expand the ESA pilot program to Hamilton and Knox Counties, but the Tennessee House voted to remove Knox County from its version while the Senate version passed 57-27.
“This is a disappointing and unacceptable outcome,” said Tori Venable, Tennessee state director for the Americans for Prosperity (AFP). “Once again at the last minute, Knoxville parents and students are left out in the cold while educational freedom is expanded in other parts of the state. Americans for Prosperity -- Knoxville parents -- won’t forget who is responsible for this vote.”
AFP East Tennessee Grassroots Director Mike Sweeney called the removal "disappointing," adding, "Lawmakers need to think of all the parents they let down by eliminating Knox County at the 11th hour once again.”
Tennessee's original ESA program passed in 2019 but has been held up in the courts until last summer. White, who sponsored the expansion, said approximately 1,500 families have applied to the pilot program with 500 students from Davidson and Shelby Counties. Rep. Yusuf Hakeem (D-TN) rejected the addition of Hamilton County, claiming the proposal was only filed as a request from a Republican senator. The bill allows for 5,000 students in 2023, 7,500 the next year, eventually going up to 15,000 students in the fifth year.
According to EdWeek, ESAs are growing in popularity in the U.S. These accounts give families access to public per-pupil funds, which can be used to pay for tuition to private schools, homeschooling supplies, curriculum materials and educational therapy services.
The accounts began in Arizona in 2011 and were originally limited to students with disabilities, low-income students and students attending failing schools. Following the pandemic, they have grown in popularity, with more states opting for universal programs, allowing any student to use them. As of March 2023, 11 states have ESA programs or expansions to previous ESA policies.
ESA advocates argue that the programs represent a new frontier in education, in which parents can customize schooling for each of their children and reject the regulations and constraints of the public school system. Opponents point to inconclusive research on the academic success of an education funded by voucher programs like ESAs. They worry that many of the programs are unregulated and lack testing.
Parents can use ESA funds for a range of items, including private school tuition, public transportation to a school of the parent’s choice and fees for standardized tests, textbooks and uniforms.
According to The Texas Tribune, lawmakers in Texas are debating implementing a school choice program involving ESAs. Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) filed SB 8, which would create an ESA program with $8,000 per student while maintaining a "held harmless" clause for rural districts. The bill is moving to the Texas Senate floor for debate after passing through the Senate Education Committee.
“Educating the next generation of Texans is the most fundamental responsibility we have, and I authored Senate Bill 8 to place parents, not government, squarely in the center of the decisions for their children. Giving parents the power to determine the best school for their child will encourage competition and innovation, ensuring that each Texas student has the opportunity to succeed,” Creighton said, according to Forest Country News.
He addressed concerns that an ESA bill would be a detriment to rural public schools.
“Anyone who creates a narrative that you can’t lift up public schools and teachers and also provide educational empowerment for families is just creating a narrative that’s false and divisive," Creighton said.
