Shelby Co. public school leaders push back on Tennessee’s proposed school voucher expansion program

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The debate over Tennessee’s controversial school voucher program will take center stage in next year’s legislative session.

School leaders across Shelby County are sounding off on a proposal from Governor Bill Lee that they say will hurt public schools.

“There are many that say today is about a choice between the public school systems and choices for parents, that’s a false choice,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “We can have both of those things.”

Almost a week after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced his plans to expand the controversial school voucher program, public school district leaders in Shelby County are pushing back against it.

“I’ve never seen public education be in the state that it is now,” said Arlington Community Schools Superintendent Jeff Mayo.

If passed by state lawmakers next year, about 20,000 students across Tennessee could get a $7,000 voucher that could be used for private or home school.

“It’s pushed out under the intent that it’s going to give students and families choice, our challenge at the same time in trying to serve our families... and schools that are going to receive this funding, are they going to have the same accountability measures that we do in our school,” asked Germantown Municipal School District Superintendent Jason Manuel.

Superintendents Mayo and Manuel both say they are against the proposed voucher expansion and other state mandates on schools passed by lawmakers in recent years.

“The problem we have in Tennessee is that we’re at the bottom 10 states for public education funding,” said Manuel. “The bottom 10! So if you got additional money for education, why not improve the education that we already have? Why not raise what we’re paying teachers? What we’re investing for students? They’re not doing that. They’re creating a separate fund of money.”

Both Mayo and Manuel expressed concerns about funding and whether private schools will be held to the same standards, including state testing and letter grading based on performance.

“This system is broken, has been broken for a number of years, and instead of starting from scratch and trying to fix that,” said Mayo. “Our governor and our legislators continue to vote on new laws that continue that brokenness in our state accountability model and we’re simply tired of it.”

For the 2025-26 school year, the governor is looking to make this program universal, meaning every K-12 student would be eligible.

The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen is considering a resolution Tuesday opposing the Education Freedom Scholarship Act in their 2:30 meeting.

Action News 5 was told the current and soon-to-be interim superintendents were not available for an interview.

CSD did not respond to a request for a written statement.

Action News 5 reached out to Bartlett City Schools and did not receive a response.

Action News 5 also reached the state’s largest school district, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which told Action News 5 that interim Superintendent Toni Williams was not available for an interview on this proposal.

MSCS did not respond to a request for a written statement.

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