School “vouchers” attracted headlines this legislative session, but charter support could have the lasting impact

Video screen in the House chambers announcing the session has adjourned (Screenshot)

Members of the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned the legislative session Thursday following more than three months of sometimes contentious and challenging educational debate.

Headlining the list of challenges was Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act that failed to reach either the House or Senate Floor.

Going into the session, the Governor’s proposal attracted the most attention as it would have expanded the concept of the Education Savings Account statewide to allow families to use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school. Governor Lee left many specific details up to lawmakers in the General Assembly though and that lead to two completely different plans advancing in the House and Senate.  Ultimately the two chambers could not iron out their differences and Governor Lee pulled the plug on the plan this week, vowing to bring it back next year.

In a statement released Thursday, Governor Lee highlighted the $144 million lawmakers approved for the plan that could be used if it passes in the future, along with additional education investments including more than $261 million to strengthen education and $15 million to re-seed the charter school facilities grant fund that provides assistance to public charter schools for capital projects and improvements.

"We’ve passed strategic legislation to cut taxes, invest in education, increase public safety, and strengthen Tennessee’s workforce,” said Governor Lee. “The primary function of government is to steward taxpayer dollars and serve the people well, and I thank the General Assembly for its partnership and continued commitment to ensuring that Tennessee remains a beacon of opportunity, security, and freedom.”

Charter facilities bill passes

Public charter schools will also see important assistance for facilities from legislation approved by the General Assembly last week.

The charter facilities bill will require local school districts that have public charter schools in them to provide a list of vacant and underutilized buildings on an annual basis. Under the bill, school districts would additionally be required to make those properties available to public charter schools at a fair market value and give charters a first right of refusal for either purchase or lease.

Supporters from education groups like Tennesseans for Student Success believe the legislation, and the charter facilities grant fund, will combine to help charters address a growing facilities funding gap that’s only expected to grow as more families send their kids to these schools.

“This legislation is truly a game changer for public charter schools in Tennessee and we’d like to applaud the leadership members of both chambers in the Tennessee General Assembly showed to stand in support of the more than 40 thousand students who attend these schools,” said Tennesseans for Student Success President and CEO Lana Skelo. “Public charter schools in Tennessee do not receive local dollars for facilities like traditional public schools and this legislation creates a commonsense solution to the problem too many charters face in diverting student funds to facilities instead of having the ability to provide students a safe and appropriate space where learning can take place. Instead of empty taxpayer-funded buildings, students across the state will now go to school each day in a facility that’s designed to be a school.”

The Tennessee Firefly is a project of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.

More options to avoid retention approved

Lawmakers also passed legislation to address a concern thousands of parents have involving legislation that received a lot of attention last year. The state estimates roughly 6 to 10 thousand fourth-graders could have been at risk for retention under a provision of the state’s Third-Grade Retention law.Under that law, third-graders who fail to show reading proficiency on state tests can only advance to the fourth-grade through summer school and/or tutoring during their fourth-grade year. Children that receive tutoring in the fourth-grade still need to show adequate growth on state testing to be promoted to fifth-grade and the Tennessee Department of Education estimates as many as 66 percent won’t meet that threshold this year.

The “Alternative Pathways to Fifth-Grade” bill passed by the General Assembly is expected to reduce the number of kids held back by adding additional tests that can qualify fourth-graders to advance to the fifth-grade. The legislation also allows fourth-graders who fail to show proficiency to advance if there’s agreement from all parties in a conference with parents, teachers, and the school principal.Those children would be required to receive tutoring in the fifth-grade.

University of Memphis expanding its K-12 program

Another bill that made it across the finish line this year will expand one of the state’s highest performing school programs.

The University of Memphis currently operates three public schools serving roughly 1,000 K-12 grade students under an agreement with Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Lawmakers approved legislation that will enable the university to serve more students by creating its own innovative school district.

Arming Teachers passes, other highly publicized bills don’t

Some of the most contentious debate this year has occurred over legislation to allow teachers and school staff to carry firearms.Lawmakers passed the bill late in the session though questions remain whether it will actually lead to very many armed teachers. The legislation has an extensive list of requirements for educators wanting to carry guns and multiple school districts, including Metro Nashville Public Schools, have said they don’t plan to allow armed teachers.

Even the pro-gun lobbying group the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) had criticism for the bill and released a lengthy statement saying it’s not pro Second Amendment legislation.

“Given the structure of the 2024 law, it is not designed to actually encourage or allow those faculty and staff members who are interested or willing to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense or even “common defense” on school grounds to do so. The 2024 law may and likely does simply create too many hurdles for those individuals including the costs of compliance and the exposure to felony charges if they are in the prohibited areas,” wrote the TFA.

Several other bills that received attention this year failed to pass.

The must talked about  proposal to ban pride flags from classrooms failed in the Senate when multiple Senators chose to skip the vote.The so-called “data bill” advanced out of multiple committees but stalled because of financial concerns during a tight budget.The General Assembly will reconvene on January 14 next year.