Nashville Catholic released that on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, Tennessee lawmakers in the House and Senate passed the Education Freedom Act. The Senate passed the bill 20-13. House members passed the bill 54-44, with one member not voting.
The bill will take effect as soon as Gov. Lee signs it, allowing the Tennessee Department of Education to begin implementing a registration portal for the 2025-26 school year.
The new Education Freedom Act will make Education Freedom Scholarships available to fund private school tuition and other related education expenses statewide regardless of family income. Under the current Education Savings Account (ESA) program, which was passed in 2019 but tied up in the courts until being implemented in school year 2022-23, 5,000 scholarships are available to low-income or disabled students in three counties in Tennessee – Davidson, Shelby, and Hamilton.
Under the new bill that was passed, 20,000 education scholarships would be available in the 2025-26 school year. Half of the scholarships would go to students living in households with an annual income less than 300% of the level to qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. The remaining 10,000 scholarships would be available to students across the state, regardless of income or ZIP code.
The Tennessee Catholic Conference and the three bishops of Tennessee — Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, and Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis — have issued past statements in support of the Education Freedom Act, noting that Catholic schools are a great fit for the current ESA program and proposed school choice program because of their longstanding commitment to serving the common good by educating children in their local communities.
After the House and Senate passed the bill, the Tennesse Catholic Conference released the following statement:
The Tennessee Catholic Conference celebrates the passage of the Education Freedom Act of 2025 as a significant step forward in advancing educational opportunities for all students across our state. This landmark legislation reflects our shared commitment to ensuring families that every child, regardless of background, has access to an education that nurtures their potential and supports their families' unique needs.
In addition to supporting family choice in education, the new law includes provisions to support public schools across the state with significant funding for facility maintenance and expansion as well as financial bonuses for public school teachers.
We thank Governor Bill Lee for his leadership in the area of family choice in education. The Education Scholarships already in place in Memphis, Chattanooga, and Nashville are making progress educating students looking for opportunities not available in public schools. This new program will make options available across the state.
Catholic schools have long been dedicated to serving the common good by providing an education that values not only academic excellence but also the holistic development of students. Rooted in faith and guided by the principles of compassion, justice, and respect for human dignity, Catholic schools focus on the needs of students and families, striving to form individuals who will contribute positively to society.
The Education Freedom Act aligns with our mission to create an environment where all children can thrive, offering families more flexibility and access to the educational opportunities that best fit their values and aspirations. We believe this law will help foster a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape, empowering parents to make choices that reflect their children's needs and supporting schools in their efforts to provide the highest quality of education.
As Catholic schools continue to serve Tennessee communities, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the common good, working together with families, educators, and policymakers to ensure a future where every child can succeed in both faith and learning.
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