State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, assured that the state’s education savings account program cleared legal hurdles, has filed legislation to expand private school vouchers to the Hamilton County school district.
Senate Bill 12 would enable the state program to include qualifying students in districts with at least five schools in the bottom 10% of the state for academic performance in 2017 and those identified as priority schools in 2015, adding Hamilton County Schools to Shelby County and Metro Nashville as school districts where students would be eligible for vouchers.
Aske Thursday if he expects much backlash, Gardenhire said, “I don’t think I’ll have much trouble in the Senate. I’m sure the education industrial complex will have a conniption.”
(READ MORE: Tennessee judges uphold contentious school voucher law)
Hamilton County was one of five counties in the initial voucher legislation when it was sponsored in early 2019 but was removed to ensure the bill received enough votes for passage. Co-sponsors of Gardenhire’s legislation are Senate Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, and Senate Finance, Ways and Means Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson, who represents part of Hamilton County.