Governor Bill Lee: Tennessee Has Not Approved Any School Education Savings Accounts for Families

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) said the state is still working on approvals for school education savings accounts (ESAs) for families seeking to choose education options outside of public schools.

“There are about 250 families that have actually applied (but) those approvals have not been made yet,” Lee said, according to an updated report Saturday from the Associated Press (AP). “The process is underway.”

The governor announced mid-July more than 40 independent schools had committed to having enrollments available immediately for students using the ESA program. Approval of those schools was pending at the time of Lee’s announcement.

“There was an urgent need for school choice in 2019, and finally, parents in Memphis and Nashville won’t have to wait another day to choose the best educational fit for their children,” he said. “I thank each school that has partnered with us to swiftly implement a program that will change the lives of Tennessee students, and I invite interested families to begin the enrollment process today.”

The Tennessee Department of Education was scheduled to contact families interested in the school choice program.

The ESA program, which is available to families residing in Davidson and Shelby counties, would allow qualifying students to receive a scholarship of over $7,000 for numerous educational expenses that include tuition, textbooks, and tutoring service costs…. (Excerpt from The Tennesse Star)