As your representative, I deeply value the opportunity to listen to your concerns especially on critical issues like the Education Freedom Act, HB6004. It is clear that there are a number of important issues within our education system that need to be addressed. Based on your feedback, it is also clear that there is an overwhelming lack of confidence that this legislation will properly address those issues. After careful consideration, I have decided to vote “No” on this bill. While HB6004 seeks to address important challenges in our education system, it falls short in addressing root issues.
Steps to Strengthen Public Education The spirit of deregulation of education coming from Washington DC right now should inspire leaders, educators and legislators to do better for our children and families. Rather than expanding government and creating a new costly entitlement program, we should focus on improving the public education system we already have. We can:
Remove politically charged or divisive content, such as curriculum centered on partisan ideologies or contentious social debates and instead focus on foundational skills like literacy and math, as well as timeless values such as critical thinking and civic responsibility.
Empower teachers with reduced standardized testing requirements and administrative burdens, giving them more flexibility to innovate and inspire students.
Adopt curricula that are proven to work in private schools, such as advanced STEM programs, rigorous classical literature studies, or character education modules.
We can also create more choices. We can make approval processes easier for charter and magnet schools with flexible funding options. We can offer incentives for innovative educational models, such as STEM-focused schools or project-based learning environments. We can provide charter and magnet schools with access to public facilities, resources, or grants that can help them overcome barriers to entry or make it easier for a public school to convert to a charter school.
Concerns with the Process First and most importantly, like you, I am concerned about using a special session to handle such a complex bill. This approach bypasses the ordinary legislative process, which allows for greater public input, transparency, and careful deliberation by legislators. The only truly emergent issue before us is addressing the devastation and needs of our neighbors in eastern Tennessee.
Support for Parents' Rights I strongly support parents’ rights to choose the best education for their children. My family has personally experienced public, private, homeschool, and hybrid options, and I am grateful for the variety of choices available. In Hamilton County, parents also have access to magnet and charter schools, as well as the option to choose another public school if space permits, with families bearing transportation costs. Not all counties have these options, but extending government oversight through subsidies and entitlements creates a foundation for the same problems we are experiencing in the public sector to arise in private education.
HB6004 shifts the conversation from freedom of choice—which we already enjoy—to who pays for that choice and how it affects the state’s obligations. This is where many constituents have expressed significant concern and I share their concerns. Shifting public funds to private education changes the fundamental role of government in ways that could undermine our public school system, place additional burdens on taxpayers, and lead private education to lose autonomy.
Fiscal Concerns Per HB6004 fiscal note, Tennesseans will provide 20,000 scholarships in fiscal year 2025-2026 which covers approximately 2% of the statewide K-12 population. Each scholarship is approximately ~$7,000.00 resulting in a cumulative cost of ~$140,000,000.00. This expense will be drawn from the General Fund, along with other costs noted in the fiscal note. This does not include the administrative cost of managing the scholarship fund. Each successive year of the program results in increased scholarships and corresponding cost escalation.
Per the fiscal note, we are continuing to maintain funding for public schools at the same rate whether they lose students or not which could require higher taxes to fund this program as it grows while we are funding 3 different programs. (Public, scholarships and ESAs)
HB6004 establishes a state and local public benefit. Half of it redistributes wealth from taxpayers to a small group of families. Per the fiscal note, 65% of vouchers are expected to go to those already paying for private schools.
Entitlement programs often lead to ballooning costs and administrative bureaucracy. Tennessee’s own experience with the ESA pilot program demonstrates the risks: the program’s initial allocation of $771,300.00 for just Davidson and Shelby counties ballooned to a $6,300,000.00 contract.
Economic and Market Impact Injecting public funds into the private education market will distort its competitive balance. It will change the private education market from a free market to a subsidized one with guaranteed funds from the state. We risk driving up tuition costs, similar to the inflationary effects seen in higher education after the introduction of federal financial aid programs. This has already occurred in states like Ohio, where private school classroom sizes doubled as tuition costs rose with school choice programs.
Increased Government Oversight Accepting public funds often comes with strings attached. States with similar programs have seen increased government oversight over time of private and homeschool options, undermining their autonomy. Instead of empowering parents, HB6004 risks entangling families and schools in bureaucratic red tape, curriculum direction and lack of individualized education. In Oklahoma, for example, a proposed bill would require parents to repay funds if their children fail state tests.
While HB6004 states that private schools will retain autonomy, once the law is passed, the greatest concern from constituents is the details of how the Department of Education will implement this bill during the promulgation of rules process which remains uncertain for private schools. From what is seen from other states with school choice programs, increased regulation, mandated testing, and data reporting requirements threaten the independence and quality of private schools.
Conclusion While HB6004 raises important questions about school choice and educational funding, it is not the right solution for Tennessee at this time. As your representative, I am committed to ensuring that we find fiscally responsible approaches to meet the needs of all students. With the impending federal tax credit program aimed at supporting school choice, Tennessee families could gain more financial flexibility to access private education options without additional strain on the state budget. I look forward to working with federal and state leaders to explore solutions that align with the wishes of our community while strengthening public education for the benefit of every Tennessean. Together, we can build an education system that serves everyone effectively.
Michele Reneau
State Representative, District 27