Overview
- Ten parents and taxpayers filed suit Thursday in Davidson County Chancery Court seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions, with backing from the ACLU of Tennessee, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Education Law Center.
- The Education Freedom Scholarship Act funded 20,000 vouchers for 2025–26 at about $7,295 each, totaling nearly $150 million, with half the seats reserved for lower-income students or those with disabilities and eligibility extended to students already in private schools.
- Plaintiffs argue the program diverts money from public schools despite a limited hold‑harmless provision, say participating private schools may deny admission or services such as special education, and note they can use a national test instead of the state TCAP.
- Gov. Bill Lee’s office said it is confident the law will be upheld and indicated plans to seek additional funding for expansion, citing more than 40,000 applications for the first year.
- The Department of Education set 2026–27 timelines with renewals opening Dec. 9 and new applications starting Jan. 13, as the state has not yet filed a court response.