We’ve had calls from folks interested in the $7,000 scholarships to private schools authorized by the legislature in special session last week. Knox TN Today asked the state Department of Education for details and received this response from Brian Blackley, director of media for the TN DOE:
“We are working diligently to implement the Education Freedom Scholarships program and provide access to Tennessee families as soon as the law is effective with the Governor’s signature.
“We will partner with the State Board of Education as they promulgate rules and are collaborating with the state’s Central Procurement Office to explore all options to implement the program in compliance with state procurement laws and rules.
“The program will be ready to launch in time for students to enroll for the 2025-26 school year. More information will be shared as it becomes available.”
The TN Board of Education has 11 members, one from each congressional district, a student member and the executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Members are appointed by the governor, the lieutenant governor or the House speaker. District 2, which includes Knox and surrounding counties, is represented by Jordan Mollenhour of Farragut, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee in 2021. Among his business interests is Lucky Gunner, a company he founded in 2009 to sell firearm ammunition online.
School vouchers are not going to help the average public school children. The more privileged children are already in private schools and do not need them. These schools just want the school voucher money and could care a less about the underprivileged children. Google the statistics yourself and find the truth.
Thanks for the information. It makes me wonder how our representative on the board, Mr. Mollenhour/Lucky Gunner, feels about recent school shootings in Tennessee.