Newly proposed legislation would establish an annual scholarship program enabling students to choose private schooling. The bill, filed on Tuesday by State Representative Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna), would apply to students within Tennessee’s rapid growth school districts (TRGSDs) according to Tennessee’s Department of Education (TDOE). Any local education agency (LEA), or school district, that has two percent growth over the course of five years would be eligible.
The bill capped scholarship recipients at 1,000 students. If more than 1,000 students applied for the scholarship, then TDOE would select the recipients via lottery preference. Students who have enrolled previously or have siblings in any given participating school would receive preference in such a lottery.
Program accountability would be covered through the legislation as well. If passed, the bill would require annual publications tracking each participating school’s student achievement, such as graduation and retention rates, and progression.
The bill would also grant TDOE the authority to remove schools from the program based on compliance, misappropriation of funds, or falsifying annual report information. Additionally, the commissioner could suspend or terminate a school from the program if they exhibit subpar performance for two consecutive years. A school’s removal from the program wouldn’t disqualify their scholarship recipients – those students would be able to transfer to another participating school.
Although the proposed program focuses on offering parents the option for private schooling, public schools wouldn’t necessarily be restricted from receiving the funds. If a student transferred from a participating private school to a public school, then those funds would be awarded to that LEA.
The Tennessee Star reached out to Sparks’ spokespersons for comment. They didn’t respond by press time.
Another school choice scholarship legislation currently being considered concerns a set of companion bills filed earlier this week that would widen homeschooled students’ eligibility for state lottery scholarships. Both versions have passed on first consideration.
Sparks’ proposal received a companion bill on Thursday from State Senator Shane Reeves (R-Murfreesboro). It was passed on first consideration in the House on Wednesday.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
