As Tennessee embarks on a school voucher misadventure, it is important to look at other states with universal voucher schemes to see how they are (not) working.
Today, we turn to Arizona. There, voucher recipients are using tax dollars to fund family vacations – Disney, Sea World, etc. – there’s even a Facebook group where users discuss how to game the system to finance vacations.
As 12News points out, most tickets to San Diego attractions or others outside of Arizona are likely to get approved regardless of cost — at least up to $2,000. Why? Supt. Tom Horne’s ADE implemented a new policy in December that all expenses less than $2,000 are approved automatically, without any review, with the plan to audit later.
Will Tennessee taxpayers end up on the hook for trips to Dollywood or Panama City Beach?
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.”
Objections to the new bill that lawmakers must ponder this year were presented in a recent talk by Marsha Livingston, a retired teacher from Anderson County Schools.
Based on valid data comparing the educational outcomes of public and private school students in Tennessee the last two years and in other states with large rural populations, she said, student academic achievement based on test scores in public schools generally surpasses that of students in private schools supported by public money.
She quoted Andy Spears, publisher of the Tennessee Education Report, who wrote, “With little data showing any significant positive gains, and new data suggesting possible harms, it’s difficult to understand why policymakers would adopt a voucher system in Tennessee.”
Within hours of the recent election’s conclusion in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee’s top legislative allies filed their top priority legislation for 2025: School Vouchers.
This despite vouchers being overwhelmingly rejected by voters in states like Kentucky, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Yes, while Kentucky voted about 2-1 for Donald Trump, they also voted 2-1 AGAINST a ballot initiative that would have allowed public funds to be spent on private schools by way of vouchers.
Vouchers were rejected in all 120 of Kentucky’s counties.
And still, Gov. Lee and his associates continue to push for a universal voucher scheme in our state.
“Once again, Tennessee Republicans are pushing an expansion of their failed private school voucher scheme. This isn’t about improving education; it’s about diverting public dollars away from underfunded public schools to private institutions that are unaccountable to taxpayers and don’t serve every student. Vouchers are a scam — they aren’t working to improve student outcomes here in Tennessee, nor have they succeeded at this scale anywhere else in the country.”
The right-wing plot to privatize public schools runs through Tennessee
Peter Greene reports on efforts by right-wing bill mill ALEC – American Legislative Exchange Council – to implement vouchers in 25 states by 2025.
No surprise, Tennessee is on the map.
ALEC’s map of school privatization targets
As Greene notes:
ALEC has set a new goal– 25 by 2025. That means having 25 states adopt school voucher programs by the end of next year. To push that goal, ALEC has a new initiative called the Education Freedom Alliance, and it is a scary crew.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee pushed an effort for universal vouchers this past legislative session – despite his past promises that he wanted to see results from the state’s pilot program before making the scheme universal.
The effort failed in 2024, but as you can see, Tennessee is a 2025 target. Lee and his legislative allies have pledged to push vouchers again next session.
Of course, Lee has long sought to extract public funds for the benefit of school privatizers.
“With a grocery store executive recently admitting that their company gouged shoppers on select items above inflation, it’s clear we need accountability measures to address corporate greed and protect working families from undue financial strain, especially in Tennessee where families are the hardest hit,” Rep. Behn added.
As Gov. Bill Lee and his legislative allies continue to push expansion of Tennessee’s school voucher program, warnings come pouring in from other states.
” . . . the cost is projected to grow 263 percent in just five years. This expansion is predicted to force public school districts to either make severe cuts or ask taxpayers for more money through public referendums.”
In a report on Florida’s experiment with full-on school privatization by way of charter schools and vouchers, Peter Greene notes that the endgame for those supporting “school choice” is getting the government completely out of the “education business.” While that may sound great in terms of “free market,” Greene highlights some pretty important implications:
Privatization is not just about privatizing the folks who get to provide education (or education-flavored products). It is about privatizing the responsibility for getting children an education.
Getting government out of education means ending the promise that every child in this country is entitled to a decent education. Regardless of zip code. Regardless of their parents’ ability to support them. Regardless of whatever challenges they bring to the process.
End that promise. Replace it with a free(ish) market. End the community responsibility for educating future citizens. Put the whole weight of that on their parents. End the oversight and accountability to the elected representatives of the taxpayers. Replace it with a “Well, the parents will sort that out. And if they don’t, that’s their own fault and their own problem.”
This sounds a lot like what Gov. Bill Lee and his legislative allies are attempting in Tennessee.
One of the General Assembly’s top advocates for taking public school funds and sending them to unaccountable private schools is also the author of legislation that prohibits the government from injecting produce with vaccines.
If that sounds strange, it is.
Rep. Scott Cepicky never met a conspiracy theory he didn’t try to turn into law.
Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) is either infamous or famous. His descriptor depends on who you ask. Nonetheless he’s known. During Tennessee’s last legislative session, he led the failed vanguard for school vouchers and passed a law to regulate vaccine lettuce.
That hasn’t stopped Bill Lee and his legislative allies (like lettuce-loving Cepicky) from setting aside some $140 million to start the process of a universal voucher program in the state.
Will Tennessee lawmakers pass a new tax next year?
A recent analysis of the potential cost of school vouchers in Kentucky shows that Bluegrass State taxpayers could be on the hook for $199 million in year one – with those costs expected to balloon in subsequent years.
Which reminds me that the year one cost of Gov. Bill Lee’s universal voucher scam would cost TN taxpayers $140 million with estimates suggesting the cost of the program at full operation would be above $700 million.
Lee is actively campaigning for Republicans in primaries who support his new voucher tax. He’s also said he plans to try again next year to pass a universal voucher scheme.
In state after state, budget analysis demonstrates that vouchers essentially amount to a new tax – straining local budgets and draining state revenue previously directed toward public schools and other programs.
Arizona is one example – lawmakers there are struggling to patch a giant budget hole due to the budget drain that is vouchers.
Let’s be clear: School vouchers essentially create two school systems. Taxpayers are on the hook for both.
The public spends more, but gets less.
In the above example, Kentuckians would pay nearly $200 million more to educate the exact same number of students.
Lee’s plan would tax Tennesseans $140 million more in its first year and provide no improvement in service.
In Tennessee’s pilot voucher program – where students are required to take state tests – kids who used the vouchers LOST ground.
We’re paying more to lose.
Oh, and after nearly a decade of budget surpluses, Lee’s tax giveaways to the rich have begun to create a budget hole – some $500 million short this year.
Less state revenue, higher local taxes, and kids losing ground academically – that’s the result of the Bill Lee agenda.
Warner is among a group of Republicans representing largely rural districts who oppose expanding vouchers – both because public schools are the cornerstone’s of their communities and because they see school vouchers as a transfer of money from rural taxpayers to suburban and urban private schools.
When it comes to vouchers, Warner told ProPublica:
“I’m for less government, but it’s government’s role to provide a good public education,” he said. “If you want to send your kid to private school, then you should pay for it.”
