Nashville, TN — As lawmakers return to Nashville, Tennesseans are learning more about how the state’s Education Savings Account voucher program is operating, and those details should concern every legislator.

Recent reporting confirms what educators and parents have warned from the beginning: Tennessee tax dollars are being diverted to private schools with almost no transparency or oversight, and evidence that the students who are using the vouchers are worse off academically than their public-school peers.

“Tennessee taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going, who is receiving it, and whether it is improving educational outcomes for all students,” said TEA President Tanya T. Coats, a 28-year Knox County educator. “At a time when many public schools are struggling to hire teachers, retain those in the classroom now, and keep class sizes manageable, voucher expansion doesn’t address the needs of all students. Tennessee cannot afford to further drain resources from the schools that serve 90% of our students.”

A new report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office raises serious questions about the effectiveness and oversight of the state’s voucher program. In addition to finding that students using vouchers are underperforming their public-school peers in both academic achievement and growth, the audit also has found that the program is not primarily serving students from low-performing public schools, though the program was promoted with these families as the target audience.

“Before lawmakers consider expanding any voucher program, they must first address the serious accountability issues that already exist,” Coats said. “That means full transparency about participating schools, clear financial reporting, meaningful academic accountability, and safeguards to ensure public funds are not misused.”

Further undermining the promises made by voucher proponents, the state comptroller found that in addition to gaps in accountability and oversight, the voucher program is leaving students enrolled in virtual schools even further behind. According to the report, students enrolled in virtual schools through the ESA program performed especially poorly, with only 20% proficient in English language arts and 17% proficient in math.

“Our position is simple: voucher expansion is wrong for our students, and existing programs must be subject to far stronger oversight,” Coats said. “Public education is a public trust. Every dollar should be fully accounted for, and every policy decision should strengthen — never undermine — the constitutional right of Tennessee’s children to attend public schools.”