A Tennessee Senate committee recommended Wednesday a bill to allow for the expansion of a school voucher system because of COVID-19-related school closures.
Senate Bill 1674 would allow for educational savings accounts (ESAs) for students who attend a public school that did not offer 180 days of in-person learning because of COVID-19 closures.
A student at a school that did not reach 180 days of in-person instruction could use the state funding related to that student at a private or charter school the following school year.
The 180-day count would be effective Sept. 1 through Sept. 1, 2025.
“We know that in-person learning is the most effective way to educate a child, to educate a student,” said Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, the bill sponsor. “… We can look back to what has happened the past couple years here in the state of Tennessee. We know that there were a couple school districts, it may have been three, for whatever reason decided not to fulfill the purpose for which they were created to do, and that’s to educate our children.”
The bill was amended Wednesday to remove a portion about mask mandates in schools before it was recommended for approval by a 7-1-1 vote in the Senate Education Committee. It now goes to the Senate Calendar Committee.
Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, asked several questions about the bill and said the delayed ESA does not help a student receive in-person instruction that school year.
“We want ’em now to be going to school,” Hensley said.
Charlie Bufalino, assistant commissioner of policy and legislative affairs for the Tennessee Department of Education, said schools can avoid having days count against the 180-day limit if an in-person school option remains. He noted schools have 13 stockpile days at the end of the school year for missed days during the school year.
Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, said she was concerned the ESAs would come into play if public schools did not hit the 180-day threshold but private schools would not have to adhere to the same 180-day standard.
“I just don’t see any safeguards that would prevent that type of unintended consequence,” Akbari said.
“That’s up to the parent,” Bell said. “That’s the parent’s choice and that’s the parent’s responsibility.”
