On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Governor Bill Lee declared the signing of a key new piece of legislation in the state of Tennessee, “a milestone in advancing education in Tennessee.” Lee, like the rest of the 54 Representatives and 20 Senators of the legislature who voted in favor, was awfully mistaken.
The Education Freedom Act of 2025 allocates approximately $140 million of the total $447 million to 20,000 vouchers or certificates that a student may use to enroll in private schools. School Vouchers are advertised as giving parents a choice on how and where to educate their children—often reserved for low-income families who could not afford to go to private schools without a “scholarship.”
However, the law does everything but help the poor. In fact, the rich just got richer.
Each of the vouchers provided by the state are worth a little over $7,000 each. In Tennessee, however, the average cost of attending a private school is $11,886. Therefore, while school vouchers will offer significant financial benefit, they will certainly fall short of covering the full expenditure. For low-income families who can not manage to afford the other $5,000, this law will not offer real practical benefit, contrary to what the legislature claims. Moreover, state review has determined that the money will actually go to two-thirds of families that are already enrolled in private schools. Instead of truly assisting financially-struggling students, taxpayers weigh the burden of funding two school systems.
The distribution of these vouchers is especially disturbing. While 10,000 of these vouchers can be distributed to anyone, the other 10,000 are required to go to lower income families—which has been defined by the law as families making less than “300% of Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch.” In essence, this means families making up to $173,000 annually qualify as low-income under Governor Lee’s plan. Given that the average family income in Tennessee is around $110,000, that threshold becomes even more appalling. The vouchers reserved for low income families will merely go to the less fortunate middle-class.
One component of the School Choice Voucher law includes a one-time $2,000 bonus to public school teachers if their local school districts opt-in to receive the money. While it may seem like a generous incentive, this bonus is a disrespectful gesture to educators and a mere shallow attempt to gain public support for the voucher initiative. This bonus does not meaningfully support the financial needs of teachers, who continue to work within a system that devalues and underpays their hard work. In fact, many teachers argue that this bonus diverts essential funds utilized to support students’ education, particularly in impoverished communities that are already underfunded. Tanya Coats, President of the Tennessee Education Association, states, “It’s only a one-time bonus and it’s taxed at a very high rate. So, I’ve heard from educators, and I know as an educator myself, it’s insulting.” Ultimately, this bonus serves as a diversion tactic that teachers argue represents the larger goal of Republican lawmakers to defund public school education. It’s not a mere coincidence that Tennessee ranks 45th in funding per student and 44th in teacher pay nationwide.
The voucher law also fails to provide consistent academic standards and progress checks across schools in Tennessee. While public school students must take state-administered standardized tests each year to gauge academic performance, voucher schools can choose between the annual state or national standardized test, leading to uneven comparisons across the board. Since public funds are being utilized for voucher schools, there must be equal academic standards set in place to ensure consistent and fair evaluation of all students. Without standards that parallel those of public schools, how can we ensure that voucher schools provide students with quality education?
Proponents of vouchers argue that they allow students to have “school choice” and take charge of their education. However, this law fails to incorporate anti-discrimination laws or accommodations for students with disabilities or special needs, raising serious ethical concerns. Since vouchers can selectively choose which students to admit, this law can lead to discriminatory practices and intensify educational outcome gaps between wealthy families and underprivileged groups. While public school students are protected by the Disabilities Education Act, which requires that students with disabilities receive tailored educational services, voucher schools are not granted this privilege. This lack of oversight highlights another flaw in the push for voucher schools.
Tennessee, however, is not the only state that has successfully advocated for this strange voucher scheme. There are twenty-nine states in total that have at least one private school voucher program, while fifteen in total have one that is universally accessible to all K-12 students in the state. As we speak, the Texas legislature is fighting to add another name to that list with one of the biggest school voucher programs to date—an astounding billion dollar cap for a two-year voucher program. As the bill currently moves to the House floor with agitating protests, it is essential to remember what we’re really fighting for.
School vouchers prioritize an educational system that favors the wealthy and perpetuates socioeconomic gaps, worsening educational outcomes for low-income, underprivileged students. It’s time for Tennessee legislators—along with others advancing similar policies—to take accountability and recognize that our funds must support universally accessible, high-quality education. These funds should not be another dollar in the pockets of the rich.
