ALEC Policy Champions Drive Education Freedom in Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton, House Majority Leader William Lamberth, and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson Deliver Universal Education Freedom to the people of Tennessee.
In a landmark move that positions Tennessee as a national leader in education freedom, Governor Bill Lee has signed the Education Freedom Act into law. This milestone was accomplished thanks to the dedicated efforts of Governor Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, House Majority Leader William Lamberth, and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson.
In ALEC’s recently released 2025 Index of State Education Freedom, Tennessee earned a C+ grade for its education freedom and ranked 16th amongst the states. With passage of the Education Freedom Act, Tennessee is likely to move up significantly in next year’s report and rival other states for a spot in the top 10.
Following Governor Bill Lee’s call for a special legislative session on January 27, the legislature wasted no time and passed the Education Freedom Act on January 30th, just three days into the special session. The bill will create a statewide Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program. In the program’s first year of operation (the 2025-2026 school year), 10,000 scholarships will be available for students who are eligible for the state’s current ESA program, students with special needs, and students with a household income at or below 300% of the level for free-or-reduced-price lunches. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, scholarships will open to every student in the state. For each year that at least 75% of the scholarships are claimed, the following year’s cap will increase by 5,000 scholarships.
Enactment of the Education Freedom Act underscores Tennessee’s commitment to empowering parents and providing families with access to a variety of learning environments. By championing this legislation, Governor Lee, Lt. Gov. McNally, Speaker Sexton, Leader Lamberth, and Leader Johnson have demonstrated a remarkable dedication to enhancing educational outcomes and expanding learning options for families across the state.
Congratulations to Governor Lee, Lt. Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton, Leader Lamberth, and Leader Johnson for their pivotal roles in advancing educational freedom and making Tennessee a national leader in parental empowerment.