NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s controversial school voucher bill cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday after extensive debate, with several lawmakers saying they want more details and some provisions clarified.
The Republican-led House Curriculum, Testing, & Innovation Subcommittee approved the legislation on a voice vote, moving it along to full committee.
“I think this concept is a good concept,” said House Education Committee Chairman Mark White, R-Memphis. “There [are] a lot of our students who need an opportunity to get away from where they’ve been.”
But White also urged Lee administration officials to address some of the questions and concerns raised during the hour-plus discussion, saying, “let’s make sure this thing is written right.”
Lee’s proposal would allow families in school districts with at least three public schools falling into the state’s bottom 10 percent on student performance to get an average of $7,300 annually for taxpayer-paid “education savings accounts” for private schooling.