Nashville, TN (WOKI) The dust from the election still settling, two of Tennessee’s top lawmakers are pushing forward another bill aimed at establishing a private school voucher program in the state.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth Wednesday introduced the Education Freedom Act of 2025.
The numbers in this latest proposal are largely the same as the measure which failed last session: the bill promises 20,000 $7,000 scholarships to students who attend a private school in Tennessee, awarded based (mostly) on their family’s income.
Under the bill, 10,000 scholarships would go first to families who make less than 300% of the amount required by the state for a student to qualify for free or reduced lunch. The remaining half of the scholarships would go to any student who qualifies, regardless of income.
Among the changes this time around is language claiming that public school funding wouldn’t be affected by the voucher program and state testing for private school students who get a scholarship.
