Tennessee Senate approves adding Hamilton County to ESA/voucher program

Originally published by The Center Square.(The Center Square)

The Tennessee Senate approved a bill on Thursday to add Hamilton County schools to the state’s pilot education savings account (ESA) program. The bill is scheduled to be discussed in a House committee next week.

Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) explained that Hamilton County was removed from the original ESA pilot program due to the district receiving an additional $20 million in funding and hiring a new superintendent. However, those changes have not resolved the district's ongoing challenges.

Gardenhire described the district’s struggles as a "game of whack-a-mole," with schools continuously being added to the state’s priority school list. In 2022, nine schools were on the list, and only one has since been removed.

“I’m going to give the parents and students the chance to have a choice and not be trapped in failing schools,” Gardenhire said.

Senate Bill 12 was approved by a 19-6 vote.

The bill does not alter the number of students that can be admitted to the statewide ESA program each year. The program allows for 5,000 students in the first year, increasing to 7,500 in the second year, 10,000 in the third year, 12,500 in the fourth year, and 15,000 in the fifth year.

The ESAs were expected to be valued at $7,572 in the first year and increase to $8,684 per ESA in subsequent years.

To be eligible for the ESA program, families must have an annual household income that does not exceed twice the federal income eligibility guidelines for free lunch. Additionally, students must attend a school identified as a priority school in 2015 or 2018 and must have been in the bottom 10% of schools as identified by the Tennessee Department of Education in 2017.