JC Schools officials press Crowe, Hicks on voucher transparency

Johnson City Schools officials continued to press lawmakers on private school voucher transparency during a Monday legislative meeting, expressing frustration over the lack of available data on the program. School board member Ginger Carter asked state Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, and state Rep. Tim Hicks, R-Gray, if and when information would be released about where voucher funding went and how many recipients were already enrolled in private schools. Crowe said that he believes state officials will soon release more information on the program. Hicks acknowledged school officials' concerns but also questioned why the data should be made public. "I don't know why [the state] would want to release it," Hicks said. "I don't see that it has any bearing on anything ... I don't know why a public school system would need to know that information." Carter and other board members argued the information is crucial for understanding private school voucher programs' impact on public schools. Despite most Johnson City Schools leaders' longstanding opposition to voucher programs, the two lawmakers defended their support for the Education Freedom Act of 2025 that allows public funds to be used for private school enrollment and expanded pilot programs in Davidson, Shelby and Hamilton counties statewide. Some Johnson City Schools officials have previously expressed the belief that the state's "school choice" movement and vouchers aim to undermine public education. Hicks emphasized the act was never intended as a fix for failing schools as some have characterized it. "Everybody knew that probably most of the kids were already in private school," Hicks said. "That was never hidden." Crowe said his vote was influenced by anticipated federal funding policies under President Donald Trump. He said the president indicated that states with school choice legislation would receive priority for federal funding and planned to offer tax credits for private school enrollment. Crowe said he worried that if Tennessee didn't pass its own voucher program, families could just use federal tax credits to attend private schools anyway, leaving public schools without the "hold harmless" funding guarantees built into the state voucher law. "If we didn't pass this bill and [families] took the tax credit and went to Providence [Academy], then the public schools would not get any money back," he said. "So that was one reason some people voted for it." However, Crowe and Hicks did express some apprehension about voting for expanding vouchers further during the 2026 General Assembly without first having more information about the program. Crowe said he wants to see a breakdown of which families are utilizing the vouchers, distinguishing between lower-income families and those who can already afford private school, before voting in favor of another expansion. "We need to see where we are and the [Tennessee Department of Education] needs to get with us and let us know how they feel and how the program's going," he said. District officials also discussed their concerns about potential legislation that would reduce teacher training requirements from a four-year degree to a two-year path.Johnson City Schools Superintendent Erin Slater warned of unintended consequences, adding that districts would face the extra burden of mentoring less-experienced teachers while students miss out on some quality instruction. "I think that's a high-risk experiment," Slater said. In addition, district leaders raised concerns about the need for more state funding to support pre-K programming. School officials told lawmakers the district spends over $1.5 million on salaries and benefits for preschool teachers while receiving only about a third back in federal and state funding. Crowe suggested the need for school officials to engage with Tennessee's next governor early to advocate for pre-K expansion, adding that he believes there's already support among the General Assembly for such a move.