This year’s legislative session attracted headlines for what didn’t pass but important changes did make it through to benefit students

Stock photo of the state capitol

When lawmakers gaveled this year’s legislative session to a close Tuesday night, they chose to essentially punt some of the most talked about bills to next year.

The House and Senate passed conflicting legislation to create intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools and opted to postpone ironing out those differences until 2026. A similar conflict between the chambers over whether to weaken the state’s testing and teacher accountability ended with the passage of legislation to study both and revisit the issue next year.

Lawmakers also paused a plan to codify a one-time transfer rule for student-athletes and a proposal to give school districts the option of charging undocumented students tuition.

Key wins for public charter schools

Among the bills that did pass were multiple changes to help Tennessee’s public charter schools and the more than 40 thousand students who attend them. 

Lawmakers approved legislation supporters say will improve the process to approve charter schools by giving applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that’s had three charter denials overturned in three straight years. The legislation would additionally provide the charter commission with new flexibility to renew charters every 5 years instead of every ten and allow charter operators who want to replicate an existing academic model and public colleges and universities the ability to apply directly to the commission.

Also, the state budget that passed included a historic increase of $20 million for charter facilities and another $5 million for a revolving loan fund to be matched by private equity firms to support charter facilities. Acquiring facilities has been a key challenge for new public charter schools.

“We are so thankful to the school leaders, charter school governing board members, students, parents, and advocacy partners who worked in support of our efforts this year,” said Tennessee Charter School Center CEO Elizabeth Fiveash Rush. “We are also incredibly grateful to the Lee administration and the Tennessee General Assembly for their support of the charter school community. Ultimately, all of us have worked in service of ensuring broader access to great opportunities for students and families, and we are grateful for the opportunity to see positive impacts across Tennessee communities as a result of this year’s work.”

Multiple bills impacting school districts and students pass

Lawmakers additionally passed several notable bills that will impact school districts across the state including one that divided Republican leaders.

Last week the General Assembly approved a bill that locks in primaries for local partisan races like school board seats, despite opposition from the Republican Party’s State Executive Committee which wanted to retain the option of switching to a caucus for these races.

Lawmakers also passed a plan to sunset the state’s Achievement School District (ASD) created in 2010 to turnaround low low-performing schools. The ASD has faced criticism for its low success rate and the legislation will create a new model to serve struggling schools.

Students will see a few changes as well from legislation that passed this year. Early in the session, lawmakers passed a bill designed to limit cell phones in the classroom and last week they green-lit a plan proposed by students to put a non-voting student member on school boards across the state.

Members of the General Assembly will reconvene the 114th General Assembly on January 13, 2026.