Private-school voucher expansion faces Tennessee GOP opposition

By: Sam Stockard

Outlets: Tennessee Lookout

Published: January 14, 2026

Words: 748

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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Plans to substantially expand the size of Tennessee’s private-school voucher program in 2026 will meet resistance from rural lawmakers, mainly because of the high cost.

Republican Reps. Jody Barrett of Dickson and Todd Warner of Chapel Hill told the Lookout Wednesday they plan to oppose proposals to increase the number of vouchers awarded through the “Education Freedom Scholarship” program, which could push the expense to nearly $300 million. Republican Rep. Monty Fritts, a Kingston lawmaker …

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