Tennessee K-12 and higher education students will suffer due to school vouchers
As a proud representative of the University of Memphis and a staunch advocate for equitable public education, I am deeply concerned about Gov. Bill Lee's proposed statewide school voucher program.
While it is framed as a solution to improve educational opportunities, the reality is that this proposal threatens to undermine both K-12 public schools and higher education in Tennessee.
The proposed reallocation of 80% of sports betting revenue − currently funding the HOPE Scholarship program − to K-12 public school facilities is a dangerous precedent.
For years, the HOPE Scholarship has been a lifeline for countless Tennessee students, enabling them to pursue higher education without the crippling burden of debt. This program, funded by the Tennessee Lottery, supports both the HOPE Scholarship and the Tennessee Promise program, which provides tuition-free access to community and technical colleges. Diverting these funds away from higher education scholarships risks destabilizing a system that has helped so many achieve their academic and professional goals.
The strain on the HOPE Scholarship program is not hypothetical. State economists have projected that lottery revenues alone may fall short of meeting scholarship funding needs as early as next year. Redirecting sports betting revenue will create a $20 million shortfall for lottery-funded programs, jeopardizing the futures of thousands of students and their families who have relied on these scholarships.
Governor Lee and his supporters argue that there will be sufficient funding for both K-12 and higher education, but this optimistic outlook ignores the growing demands on the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program. From 2021 to 2024, the funding demands for this program have grown by nearly $100 million. If the governor's plan proceeds, the state will be forced to draw from the lottery's shortfall reserve, a fund designed for emergencies, not to patch holes created by legislative overreach.
Equally troubling is the broader impact of vouchers on public education. Diverting public funds to private schools through voucher programs drains resources from already underfunded public schools, exacerbating inequities in our education system.
Opinion: Tennessee's schools are a plane on fire. Don't turn down Gov. Lee's parachutes.
Public schools in Tennessee serve the majority of our students, yet they continue to struggle with inadequate funding for students, teachers and programs. This legislation not only undermines our neighborhood schools but also creates a false promise for families seeking better opportunities. These private schools won't be held accountable to taxpayers and they will reject applicants for any reason or no reason at all.
As a legislator, I cannot support a policy that sacrifices the future of Tennessee's students to fund an unproven and inequitable voucher system. The University of Memphis and other public institutions in our state are critical engines of opportunity and innovation. Weakening the foundation of higher education funding undermines our state's ability to produce a skilled workforce and attract economic investment.
Instead of siphoning funds from higher education and public schools, we should be investing in solutions that strengthen these systems for all Tennesseans. This includes increasing teacher pay, improving school infrastructure, expanding access to early childhood education, and ensuring that every student, regardless of their ZIP code, has access to a high-quality public education.
I urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to reject this voucher proposal and stand with the families and students who depend on strong public schools and robust higher education opportunities. The future of Tennessee depends on our commitment to education, and we cannot afford to gamble with it.
State Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, represents District 33 in the Tennessees SEnate.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmakers should reject school vouchers expansion | Opinion
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