Subcommittee backs amended virtual‑school accountability measure after hours of testimony

The K‑12 Subcommittee voted to send HB 2420, as amended, to full Education after adopting a compromise amendment that extends the timeline for accountability actions against underperforming virtual schools.

The adopted amendment delays immediate closure and gives virtual schools up to three additional years to improve before closure is considered; a school on the priority list must show TVOS level 2 growth to avoid further action. Supporters, including virtual‑school leaders and students from Volunteer State Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual, urged the committee not to close schools without allowing improvement cycles and highlighted students whose needs are met by online options. Stacy Steppe, executive director of Volunteer State Virtual Academy, said priority designation can come early in a school's life and requested equitable improvement timelines; student speakers described personal academic gains and access benefits. Opponents and some members argued the virtual sector has structural differences—less financial oversight, for‑profit operators and statewide recruiting—and asked for consistent standards across brick‑and‑mortar and virtual schools.

Policy groups such as SCORE supported the amendment as aligning existing closure criteria and improving parent notification. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill (5 ayes, 3 noes). Members asked for continued monitoring of TVOS measures and noted a plan to convene a TVOS review committee over the summer.