Board legislative liaison urges Hamblen County to prepare resolution opposing voucher expansion

Jared (legislative liaison) briefed the Hamblen County Board of Education on statewide developments in Tennessee’s private‑school voucher program and urged the board to consider drafting a formal resolution opposing expansion.

Jared told the board that the state initially rolled out roughly 20,000 vouchers this year at an average value of about $7,295 each and that proposals under discussion could double that to 40,000 vouchers. He said that would raise the program’s recurring cost toward $300 million statewide and emphasized the need for a fiscal review before expansion. "Before the state commits to doubling this program, we need to take a hard look at the fiscal impact," he said.

The liaison highlighted reporting that many voucher recipients did not meet income limits intended for low‑income students and that a large share of vouchers went to a few counties, including Williamson County and some large urban counties. He noted that the state provides roughly $7,023 per public student under TISA, a figure he contrasted with the voucher average to show private vouchers can exceed public per‑pupil allocations.

Jared recommended the board consider preparing a resolution to formally oppose expansion of the voucher program; he said Hamblen County previously opposed the program and suggested the board "get ahead of the game" by leading with a renewed resolution.

Board members acknowledged the presentation and asked staff to consider drafting a resolution for future meetings. The transcript records questions about local counts but shows the board does not have district‑level voucher recipient data on hand.