Tennessee Approves Private-School Voucher Expansion

The Tennessee State Senate approved a private-school voucher bill Thursday, expanding the program to 35,000 students, despite concerns it could drain the state budget and force local public school districts to collect students’ Social Security numbers.

Checking children’s Social Security cards when they register for classes could lead to a legal challenge for potentially violating federal discrimination laws that require public schools to educate every child. The provision also puts a burden on school districts to manage students’ private information, opponents said.

The program is expected to cost more than $270 million to nearly double the number of students receiving vouchers worth $7,500 each to enroll in private schools.

The Senate voted 18-14 to pass a House version of the bill that was narrowly adopted in that chamber Monday night when it received two more votes than constitutionally required for passage.

House members voting for the expansion included local State Representatives Brock Martin (R-Huntingdon) and Tandy Darby (R-Greenfield) and State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon). In the 2025 vote, Darby voted against the voucher program, but in 2026, voted to expand it.

According to the official Tennessee state website, the following votes were recorded.

Representatives voting Aye were: Alexander, Atchley, Baum, Boyd, Bricken, Bulso, Butler, Capley, Carringer, Cepicky, Crawford, Darby, Davis, Doggett, Eldridge, Faison, Farmer, Gant, Garrett, Gillespie, Grills, Hale, Helton-Haynes, Hicks G, Hicks T, Hill, Hulsey, Jones R, Keisling, Kumar, Lafferty, Lamberth, Lankford, Leatherwood, Littleton, Lynn, Maberry, Marsh, Martin B, Martin G, McCalmon, Moody, Moon, Powers, Raper, Reedy, Reeves, Rudd, Rudder, Scarbrough, Slater, Stevens, Stinnett, Terry, Todd, Towns, Vaughan, Vital, White, Williams, Wright, Zachary, Mr. Speaker Sexton -- 63.

Representatives voting No were: Barrett, Behn, Brooks, Camper, Chism, Clemmons, Cochran, Dixie, Freeman, Fritts, Glynn, Harris, Haston, Hawk, Hemmer, Hurt, Johnson, Jones J, McKenzie, Miller, Mitchell, Parkinson, Powell, Reneau, Russell, Salinas, Shaw, Warner -- 28.

Representatives present and not voting were: Sparks -- 1.

Senators voting Aye were: Bailey, Crowe, Haile, Harshbarger, Jackson, Johnson, Lowe, Massey, Powers, Reeves, Roberts, Rose, Stevens, Taylor, Watson, White, Yager, Speaker McNally -- 18.

Senators voting No were: Akbari, Bowling, Briggs, Campbell, Gardenhire, Hatcher, Hensley, Kyle, Lamar, Oliver, Seal, Southerland, Walley, Yarbro -- 14.

The measure heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for signature, wrapping up his main initiative over two four-year terms in office, though the total number of vouchers approved was 5,000 fewer than he requested in the program’s second year.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, who sponsored the bill for Lee, told lawmakers they would take up a $58 billion budget that includes $9 billion for traditional K-12 schools.

“We are committed to public education, making it the best it can be,” Johnson said. Yet he added that the Senate should satisfy its “constitutional obligation” to give parents the option to use state funds to send their children to private schools.

Eight Republicans joined six Democrats in voting against the bill, including GOP Sen. Joey Hensley of Hohenwald.

“We ought to stick with what we promised people,” Hensley said.

When the legislature adopted the program last year, it contained a provision allowing it to expand by 5,000 students annually, subject to approval of funding. The law also required the state to pay local school districts for lost enrollment. The new bill pays back districts only for students who take the voucher funds, but to receive the money, districts will be required to check students’ Social Security numbers.

Nashville Democrat, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, contended that the Social Security number provision doesn’t necessarily challenge Plyler v. Doe, a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring schools to enroll all students regardless of immigration status. Yet he said it violates federal privacy laws to receive funds for students who leave the district.

“This is just a phasing out of the ‘hold harmless’ statewide on a faster timeline,” Yarbro said, using the term used to describe efforts to keep school districts from hemorrhaging money.

Democratic Sen. Heidi Campbell of Nashville warned colleagues that “a reckoning” is coming because of the burden the program will put on the state budget as it grows annually.

Campbell and Democratic Sen. Charlane Oliver of Nashville argued that they’re spending more per student on private-school vouchers than on increasing funding for public schools.

Proponents of the expansion, though, said it is needed to keep children from being bullied and cutting themselves because of depression.

“For the small percentage of parents who need something else, let’s give them that avenue,” said Republican Sen. Adam Lowe of Calhoun.

This story is republished from the TennessseeOutlook.com with permission.