Does it matter whether two students or 2,200 students are involved in the Tennessee Education Savings Account program if they get a better education than they would have in their nearest public school?
Though we exaggerate, that’s how important we believe the pilot program now available in Davidson (Nashville) and Shelby (Memphis) counties can be if it’s expanded to Hamilton County.
And that’s the aim of a bill in the legislature sponsored by state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga — to allow tax dollars to follow low-income students if their parents or guardians choose to send them to private schools.
The vouchers, currently worth about $8,100 per student, can be used for the likes of tuition or fees, school uniforms, required textbooks, approved summer-school or after-school education programs, tutoring services, education therapies, transportation, and computer hardware or technological devices used for educational purposes.
The measure, which only adds Hamilton County to the program, passed the Senate Education Committee this week, 6-3.