Act now to stop the unconstitutional voucher program!

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SB 1/HB 1 which would implement a statewide Education Savings Account (ESAs), a school voucher program that puts public taxpayer money in an account for parents to use for private schools.

Private schools participating in the voucher program are not obligated to comply with the academic, accountability, and governance standards that apply to public schools. In addition, they can discriminate against students on the basis of religion, LGBTQ+ status, and other characteristics, as well as refusing to provide the necessary services to students with disabilities.

Last year when Gov. Lee attempted to implement a statewide voucher program elected officials and school boards across the state rejected vouchers, acknowledging the harm this type of program would have on their schools and communities.

If a student uses a voucher to attend private school, the state will provide funding to the school district for that loss, but only for the first year. After that, the school permanently loses those funds, leading to a gradual decline in resources over time and the continued diversion of already scarce resources away from the public education system.

The cost of tuition and fees at most private schools greatly exceeds the amount of the voucher making it unaffordable for most low-income families. While legislators claim half of the funding in this program would assist low-income families, the program absurdly defines “low-income” as families earning at or below $176,000 – well above Tennessee’s median household income of $72,000. Even worse, the other half of the funding – over $70 million per year in taxpayer dollars – has no income limit at all and will go to families earning even higher. As a result, this program would funnel taxpayer dollars to families who could already afford to send their kids to private school.

In the first year, this program would divert up to $144 million in taxpayer funds to implement an unfair and discriminatory system that takes resources away from public schools and discriminates against certain families. By year five, it will have cost Tennesseans $800 million, putting our state at risk of financial burdens we will be unable to meet, further straining our schools, water supplies, emergency services, infrastructure, and other critical public resources.

We need to improve our public schools for ALL children. By taking resources away from public schools and discriminating against certain families, legislators are sending a clear message that they are giving up on public schools and turning their backs on some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable children.

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Dear legislator:

Please oppose and vote NO on SB 1/HB 1.

Message Body

SB 1/HB 1 would divert up to $144 million in taxpayer funds to implement an unfair and discriminatory statewide private school voucher program. By year five, it will have cost Tennesseans $861 million, putting our state at risk of financial burdens we will be unable to meet, further straining our schools, water supplies, emergency services, infrastructure, and other critical public resources.

As a taxpayer, I do not want my tax money going to a costly government spending program that will take away money from rural and urban school systems and hurt Tennessee families.

We need to support teachers and children in rural and urban school systems and make sure that all students have access to quality education. Families who want to send their children to private or religious schools should always have the right to do that, but they should not be able to use tax-payer dollars to do so.

We need to improve our public schools for all children. By taking money and support away, this program will hurt our public schools without necessarily improving outcomes for students. In fact, recent studies show that students who attend private voucher schools perform worse academically compared to students in public schools.

The current proposal will also have a disparate impact on some of our state’s most vulnerable students. Private voucher schools, unlike public schools, are not required to adequately serve students with disabilities or low-income students. And even though federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of national origin in public education, the bill would limit immigrant students access to education, while also putting their families at risk of separation.

Please do not invest up to $144 million per year in state and local funds on an ineffective, unfair and discriminatory school voucher program.

I urge you to oppose SB 1/HB 1. Thank you.

Sincerely,
[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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Act now to stop the unconstitutional voucher program!

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