One year after it launched a universal school voucher program, Tennessee will nearly double the program with 15,000 additional vouchers, directing about $260 million in public funds to private schools.
The Tennessee Senate voted 18-14 on Thursday to fund 35,000 vouchers for the 2026-27 academic year. The Senate bill conformed to its companion in the House, adopted earlier this week, which included 5,000 fewer vouchers than Gov. Bill Lee’s ask of 40,000. The bill passed by a similarly slim margin of 52-43 in the House. The legislation now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.
