Withheld funds or potential cuts could heavily impact Tennessee education programs, where it’s primarily been used to pay for teacher development, after-school programs, and other child care initiatives.
In a statement, Memphis-Shelby County Schools district officials say 100 teacher and staff positions could be impacted if some $17 million is withheld.
May 15th is the launch of TN’s new, $1.1 billion voucher scheme
Gov. Bill Lee spent significant time and energy during his term attempting to pass a universal school voucher scheme that would provide coupons for discounted admission to private schools.
He finally convinced the legislature to pass this plan during a special legislative session early this year. In 2019, lawmakers passed a limited voucher plan – for only Memphis and Nashville – and then expanded that to Chattanooga.
The early results from that plan suggest it isn’t “working” – if by working one means helping students improve academic outcomes.
Tennessee Senate Democrats said school vouchers will cost state taxpayers more than $1 billion. They also warned the plan could lead to less state funds for public schools. As a result, the Democrats are calling the plan a “billion-dollar boondoggle.”
The plan calls for 20,000 vouchers worth $7295 each to be available for students in grades K-12 to use at the private school of their family’s choice.
On news that the state now ranks 47th nationally in per student investment – and last among our Southeastern neighbors, Rev. Chris Warren -a Cumberland Presbyterian minister from Murfreesboro – said:
“Scripture reminds us often to care for both children and the vulnerable in our midst. By prioritizing voucher schemes instead of fully funding our public schools, it’s clear that Governor Lee and the Supermajority Legislature have neglected this scripture’s call. Instead, they have prioritized underfunding public education while funneling millions to vouchers. This benefits powerful outside interest groups while our children suffer.”
Sure, it means short-term hunger – but at least TN is free from “federal interference”
Gov. Bill Lee is among a cohort of GOP governors trying to wean their governments off of “dependence” on the federal government. No Medicaid expansion, for example.
Nevermind that Tennesseans have paid into the federal treasury – Lee doesn’t want the money.
The Wall Street Journaldigs deeper into a story I wrote about back in February.
When the federal government offered to cover the cost of feeding Tennessee’s poor children last summer, state officials accepted the cash.
Some $84 million in federal money flowed into Tennessee. The families of 700,000 kids were given $120 per child to buy food during the summer months when school is out.
Washington made the same offer for the coming summer. This time, Tennessee said no.
The WSJ story notes that Republican-led states are conflicted over accepting the Summer EBT funds – 14 are taking the money, 13 (like Tennessee) are not.
Instead of ensuring all kids have access to food this summer, Lee is starting his own program – one that leaves the fast majority of kids in need without access to food.
Tennessee can spend $1 billion to give wealthy families coupons for private schools. The state can spend hundreds of millions to build a stadium for a privately-owned football team.
But we sure can’t accept money from the federal government to ensure hungry families get a boost.
Seems that someone (Bill Lee) has some pretty mixed up priorities.
While Tennessee historically ranks in the bottom 10 nationally – usually in the 44-45 range – we’d usually end up with funding above some of our Southern neighbors.
Thanks to Bill Lee, not anymore.
Tennessee ranks dead last among neighboring states when it comes to investment in schools after six years of Lee’s “leadership.”
Instead of seeking to right the ship and push Tennessee forward, Lee has now convinced his legislative allies to embrace a billion-dollar school voucher scheme.
If you think it’s bad now, it will very likely get worse.
Dismantling the Department of Education will have devastating impacts
Gov. Bill Lee yesterday celebrated Donald Trump’s “executive order” to dismantle and effectively end the U.S. Department of Education.
Unsurprisingly, the same Governor who relentlessly pushed to destroy public education in Tennessee through a costly and ineffective school voucher scheme also supports this latest very bad idea.
In short: This will be bad. All of it. The end of the Department of Education. The end of public school. The advent of “free market, choose your own adventure” education.
The end result: an exacerbation of income-based inequality. Or, the dream scenario of Project 2025.
When the Dept of Ed dies or is decimated, here’s what could happen
An analysis out of Arizona demonstrates what’s at stake as President Musk and his associate, Trump, move forward with dismantling the federal Department of Education:
Now, Save Our Schools Arizona is offering an analysis of the potential impacts there. Again, as much as $1 billion could be impacted – and, to be clear, even if the final number lost is only a fraction of that amount, it will have real consequences for students and schools in the state.
TN also gets a nice share of cash from the feds. And sure, some of that money may be “block granted” to the states. But taking away a couple hundred million dollars is not a great way to help schools that are already under-resourced.
That’s what’s changed under Bill Lee’s approach to education
When Gov. Bill Lee came into office in 2018, Tennessee school funding system was broken.
The state lagged behind our neighbors in terms of support for schools by all measures. Billions in unfunded infrastructure needs. Teachers paid well below their peers in Southeastern states. Total investment in students ranked in the bottom 5 in the nation.
Bill Lee’s solution to all of this was to propose a school voucher scheme.
While it passed by a single vote in the House, the fallout is still being felt – one House Speaker lost his job over it. Staffers were indicted. And it seems the saga is not over.
Bill Lee’s “new frontier” looks a lot like Tennessee’s old frontier of school funding failure
Remember how Gov. Lee pushed a new school funding formula – TISA – to replace the state’s highly equitable but woefully inadequate BEP?
Remember how Lee promised TISA would usher in a bold new era of investment in Tennessee’s public schools?
Well, as it turns out, Lee’s rhetoric failed to match the reality. Or, those who warned about TISA were right – the new formula still provides inadequate funding to Tennessee’s public schools.
While in 2018, Tennessee ranked 42nd in the nation in school funding effort, today we rank 47th. On overall funding level, there has been no change since 2018 – that is, we’re still at 43rd.
So much for that new frontier Gov. Lee promised. Seems like the same old frontier of inadequate funding combined with the newness of even LESS effort to actually fund schools.
All of this continued lack of investment in school happened while the state enjoyed multiple years with huge (multi-billion dollar) budget surpluses. Rather than invest those funds in schools, Lee and his legislative allies gave out $1.6 billion in corporate tax breaks and $500 million to the Tennessee Titans to build a new stadium.
Photo by John Guccione www.advergroup.com on Pexels.com
