Lakeland board reaffirms opposition to Education Freedom Act and similar voucher initiatives

The Lakeland School Board approved a resolution titled "Education Freedom Act and Similar Voucher Initiatives" opposing voucher or scholarship‑type proposals being discussed in the Tennessee legislature.

Michelle Childs, the district’s legislative liaison, said the board’s new resolution is nearly identical to one passed the prior year and that she had already sent it to legislators in the district before the special session began. She said she wanted the board to reaffirm opposition because the special session was called outside the regular session and before other educational priorities had been heard.

Childs cited fiscal concerns in the state fiscal note, saying "the fiscal note on this is more than a billion dollars over the first 4 years and it will continue to increase every year because, there's no cap on the amount of scholarships that can be given." She also highlighted differences from prior programs: the current proposal’s income limits are broader, testing and accountability requirements differ, and the fiscal note projects that at least 65% of participants would be current private‑school students. Childs referenced an Arkansas example where 82% of participants were current private‑school students and asked the legislature to prioritize teacher pay, noting the state's minimum teacher salary of $44,000.

Board members voted in support of the resolution by voice vote; the motion passed and no further action was taken at the special called meeting.

The resolution is intended to communicate the school board’s opposition to state voucher proposals and to inform local legislators of the board’s position.