NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s top education officials conceded Monday that a small number of parents who participate in the state’s latest school voucher initiative might be taxed for participating in the program.
The development comes after months of debate between policy officials, education advocates and lawmakers over whether the new school vouchers for private education will be considered federally taxable income for parents.
“Taxability in any case is going to be very rare for students,” Education Deputy Commissioner Amity Schuyler told a group of lawmakers during a Monday hearing.
The debate began in November when Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn surprised lawmakers by announcing that voucher recipients would be taxed, explaining she came to that conclusion after consulting with the attorney general’s office.
Yet the education agency quickly reversed its position a few days later, saying that the intent of the law was to consider these vouchers as scholarships. Officials said they would work to ensure school vouchers would not be taxable.