State leaders criticized Tennessee State University for financial and operational mismanagement during a Thursday State Building Commission Meeting, amid recent fears that the university is running out of money.

Despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Education funnels more than $800 million into Tennessee alone, some leading Republican legislators have signaled support for President-Elect Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate the department altogether.

The proposal to allow Tennessee families to use public dollars to send their children to private school proved to be a topic of disagreement for three candidates running in Blount County's House District 20 Republican Primary.Jason Emert, Tom Stinnett, and Nick Bright weighed in on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act, frequently referred to as vouchers, during a forum held last week by the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.