A lawsuit filed last year by a group of Tennessee parents against Gov. Bill Lee and state education officials over the state's taxpayer-funded vouchers has been dismissed.
A three-judge panel's decision came down on Oct. 19 in Davidson County Chancery Court, ending the nearly yearlong legal fight over the vouchers, known as Education Freedom Scholarships, court records show.
The program, which launched in 2025, is based on a state law that says all students who can attend a Tennessee public school are eligible to receive state funding to offset private K-12 tuition and other education costs. Vouchers worth $7,530 apiece were awarded to 35,000 students for the 2026-27 school year.
The plaintiffs, who came from counties across Tennessee, argued the
program would "drain funds from under-resourced public schools and send hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to unregulated private schools." They also argued the program violated the state constitution's Education Clause. The judges dismissed those claims in the Oct. 19 ruling and upheld the program.
The plaintiffs were backed by powerful civil rights groups, including the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Education Law Center and Southern Education Foundation. A group of families backed by the Beacon Center of Tennessee and EdChoice Legal Advocates also intervened in the lawsuit, arguing in favor of the program.
Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee vouchers survive challenge over public school funding
