NEWS

Tennessee school voucher plan passes key hurdle

Jason Gonzales
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

A school voucher plan for Tennessee passed a key legislative hurdle Wednesday, but opponents said there's still a fight to come.

House Bill 1049 made its way out of a House budget subcommittee, signaling a first for this type of voucher program and helping clear a major obstacle for the legislation. The bill passed on a voice vote, and it was unclear who voted for the bill.

Voucher programs offer government-funded scholarships that can be used for private school tuition. Gov. Bill Haslam has supported a limited voucher program for low-income students at struggling schools, and other conservative groups hailed the vote as a move forward.

"This is a big step in the right direction for this school choice bill that has the potential to help so many Tennessee families," said Justin Owen, CEO of the Beacon Center of Tennessee.

To be eligible for the program, students would have to qualify for free or reduced lunches and be zoned for or attend a school that is in the bottom 5 percent of all schools in the state. The bill caps the number of students who can apply, with an eventual expansion to 20,000 vouchers.

Newly appointed House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville, said this week he would vote in favor of the bill — a significant factor because the subcommittee's previous leader voted many times against the bill.

After Wednesday's vote, Democrats said the absence of voucher opponent Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, because of surgery, contributed to the bill moving through the panel.

"They waited until a snow day where one anti-voucher vote was having a medical procedure to pass maybe the most significant bill before the legislature out of budget subcommittee," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart, D-Nashville.

As proponents rejoiced Wednesday about the win, opponents vowed to re-up efforts against the bill. The voucher plan will now be heard by the full finance committee.

The Senate has passed voucher bills regularly, but this is the clearest indication yet that the plan could make it to the House floor. As it is written, the bill has Haslam's support.

"I absolutely don't think it's smooth sailing," Stewart said.

But pro-voucher Tennessee Black Alliance for Educational Option's senior adviser Keith Williams said there is plenty of interest from Memphis families in the program.

Other concerns from opponents include worries that a voucher program will be a financial drain. Districts, including those in Shelby and Hamilton counties, have sued the state for more education funding.

"I think it's something to be concerned with — the majority leader was concerned with it last year," said House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley. "Small schools' lawsuits have been successful (suing the state) before, and now you have the large schools."

Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, is the sponsor of the bill and said the debate isn't about protecting the framework of public education.

"In the end, the adults in (the schools), they'll be OK," Dunn said. "But the kids in them can't wait."

If enacted into law, it will be the second voucher legislation passed in Tennessee. A limited program passed last year allows families to use local and state funds for education expenses for students with severe disabilities.

Groups are divided on the issue.

Opponents include the Tennessee Education Association, Tennesseans Reclaiming Educational Excellence and most Tennessee Democrats. Metro Schools Board member Amy Frogge also attended the day's meeting to testify against the plan. The school board has passed a resolution against vouchers.

Groups have argued that vouchers do not show overwhelmingly positive results and pull public funds from the schools that need them the most.

Proponents, including StudentsFirst Tennessee, have said the bill creates new school choices for students attending the lowest-performing schools in the state. The group also released a statement celebrating the day's victory.

Rep. David Alexander, R-Winchester, opposes vouchers and serves as vice chairman of the full House finance committee. He said during the hearing he will likely offer an amendment to the bill.

The amendment will say any school that will receive voucher funds must certify a few things, including that the school doesn't have any curriculum or instruction teaching secular law above the Constitution.

Reach Jason Gonzales at 615-259-8047 and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.