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A resolution opposing expansion of the Education Savings Account program in Tennessee.
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WHEREAS, in 2019, the Tennessee General Assembly approved, by a single vote, the implementation of an Education Savings Account ("ESA"), or "school voucher" program, in Davidson and Shelby counties; and
WHEREAS, the school voucher program was also expanded to Hamilton County in 2023; and
WHEREAS, currently, the school voucher program provides approximately $9,000 for students to attend schools on the list of ESA-approved schools, which can be used toward tuition, textbooks, uniforms, and other approved educational expenses; and
WHEREAS, the proposed expansion of the school voucher program in Tennessee, which allows for $7,075 in public funding for students to attend private or home schools, will also tie up additional state funds, with an estimated annual cost of $141.5 million; and
WHEREAS, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools receives nearly a quarter of its budget from federal and state funding, and much of the remaining funding comes from the Metropolitan Government through property taxes; and
WHEREAS, when combined with recently updated state funding calculations based on student enrollment, an expanded voucher program could mean less funding from the state and more funding required from local sources, which may necessitate an increase in property taxes; and
WHEREAS, Tennessee currently ranks 46th among all states in education funding in the United States; and
WHEREAS, research from the Brookings Institute shows that school voucher programs lead to an increase in new private schools which are funded almost exclusively by vouchers and quickly close. In addition, many existing private schools raise tuition after voucher programs are instituted; and
WHEREAS, the Brookings Institute has also found mixed evidence on whether school voucher programs actually improve student attainment or performance; and
WHEREAS, in addition, it is unclear whether t...
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