More families across the state will soon have access to public funding for private school enrollment under the state’s controversial school voucher program that began taking new applications Thursday.
The school choice initiative, known officially as the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) program, was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee earlier this year after other iterations of the voucher legislation pushed by Republican state legislators failed to expand existing pilot voucher programs in Davidson, Shelby and Hamilton counties. Democratic Party lawmakers and public school district officials across the state who have largely been opposed to private school vouchers in Tennessee believe the new legislation will divert much-needed funding away from traditional public schools.
The program has also been met with opposition from public school district officials across the region in Elizabethton City Schools, ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Schools and Washington County Schools among other systems. Among the many local critics of the program is Washington County Schools Board of Education member Gregg Huddlestone, who said at a recent school board meeting that he believes the program will be “detrimental to our public schools.â€
He said Thursday that he remains opposed to using tax funds for private school tuition and echoed other local school officials’ concerns about the current realities of public school funding in Tennessee.
“The state legislature is going to give millions of dollars to this voucher program while Tennessee’s funding of public education is 43rd among 50 states,†he wrote in a statement to the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Press.
Despite such opposition, Tennessee Department of Education officials say they’re hoping for a “seamless program launch†and promoted the program by launching an online “step-by-step guide†Tuesday for families interested in applying for one of the 20,000 scholarships available to students this year.
The announcement said the online resource aims to help families navigate the scholarship application process and the application portal requests documentation relating to eligibility.
Lee reiterated his support for universal school choice, and his belief that families should be able to have more choice in where their children attend school.
“For the first time, families in all 95 Tennessee counties will have the opportunity to enroll their child in the school that best fits their needs, regardless of income or ZIP code,†Lee said in Tuesday’s announcement about the guide.
“I’m grateful to the schools that have registered to participate in the Education Freedom Scholarship program and look forward to delivering excellent educational choices for students.â€
The department announcement noted that officials expect “high traffic volumes†on the department’s online application portal.
“I want to encourage interested Tennessee families to utilize these new resources as they continue to prepare for the upcoming application launch on May 15,†Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said in Tuesday’s news release.
To learn more about the ESF program, visit
