White County Board of Education adopts resolution opposing state voucher bill

The White County Board of Education on Jan. 23 adopted a resolution opposing the 2025 Education Freedom Act (House Bill 1), the state's proposed voucher program, after a roughly hour-long public deliberation during a special-call meeting.

The board voted to approve the resolution by voice vote after discussion; Board Member Jason McDonald moved to adopt the draft and Board Member Mr. Smith seconded the motion. The board chair recorded the motion as passed after members responded "aye." The resolution will be signed by board members and shared with state legislators, district staff said.

Board members and the district director told the meeting that their primary concern is the proposed flow of state funds to private schools and the possible long-term effect on public-school budgets. "This is a bad thing for public education across our state," the district director said, adding that he was "not afraid of competition, but afraid of unfair competition." He and other speakers said the bill could reroute money away from public classrooms, especially over time.

Why it matters: Board members said the proposal could affect White County and other rural districts differently than metropolitan areas. Materials distributed at the meeting and comments from board members noted Tennessee has 95 counties, but only about 44 counties currently host private schools, while roughly 300 private schools statewide would be eligible under the proposal. Board members said those geographic differences and the structure of the scholarship could concentrate benefits in a minority of counties while drawing funding from all taxpayers.

Discussion highlights included questions about program details that the bill does not clearly address: whether scholarships are renewed annually, how students with special needs would be served, how private schools would account for voucher funds, and how the state's "hold harmless" language for the first year would operate in later years. Board Member Ms. McGill, a White County student who said she had discussed the bill in an AP government class, pointed to other states' experiences and cited examples of voucher funds being used for noneducational purchases in Arizona.

Several board members raised fiscal concerns. One board member described a scenario in which a district keeps fixed staffing levels while losing per-pupil revenue if some students leave to accept vouchers: "If 5 of those students take the voucher and leave, I still need the teacher to teach those remaining 15 students, but I lost $35,000 to pay that teacher," the board member said. The board also discussed a sample amount that appeared in the handout materials: a voucher figure of about $7,750 was referenced during the meeting and used in an illustrative example presented to the board.

Board members also expressed concern about equity and access. Several speakers said the application process and private-school admissions policies could exclude students with disabilities or those requiring wraparound services that the board said public schools currently provide. "The voucher does not guarantee a placement in [a private school]," one board member noted, warning that private schools may decline applicants for academic or special-needs reasons.

After deliberations, the board considered a draft resolution prepared for the meeting. The resolution affirms the board's commitment to public education, opposes the 2025 Education Freedom Act "as currently proposed," and calls on the Tennessee General Assembly to prioritize public-school investment and to consult local educators and school boards when drafting policy. A board member described the draft as "very well written" before moving for adoption.

The meeting closed with administrative reminders: the next regular meeting is scheduled Feb. 13 at Finley Elementary (work session at 5 p.m., regular meeting at 6 p.m.), and board members were reminded to file statements of interest by Jan. 31. The board also heard one public comment unrelated to the voucher discussion from student Gracie Clark concerning a teammate's athletic eligibility; the board said it would address that item separately after the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the resolution opposing the 2025 Education Freedom Act (House Bill 1) by voice vote; the motion was moved by Jason McDonald and seconded by Mr. Smith. The chair announced the motion passed after members answered "aye." The resolution will be signed by board members and distributed to legislators.