KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – On Thursday, Tennessee lawmakers passed Gov. Bill Lee’s top legislative priority when they gave a the preverbal thumbs up by votes in the house and senate.
While public school supporters said the act will take money from public schools, private school voice believe this new era in education in Tennessee is all about providing options.
Previous Coverage: Districts and leaders react to passage of Gov. Lee’s ‘Education Freedom Scholarship Act’
“It’s going to be a great boon for families to seek an educational opportunity that they were able to address in public schools,” said the Executive Director of the Tennessee Catholic Conference, Rick Musacchio.
WVLT News spoke to Musacchio first in December of 2023 about the idea of school choice.
“It does open exciting possibilities of how schools might change and expand with the ability of more families to be able to afford to come to our schools,“ Musacchio said at the time.
The act will send 20,000 Tennessee students to private school with nearly $7,000 in scholarship money. This would cover the tuition at most catholic grade schools in Tennessee.
“High schools are more expensive, of course,” Musacchio said.
But that’s what was wanted from lawmakers.
Musacchio said they didn’t want the scholarships to cover tuition fully because, in their position, they feel having a buy-in from families enhances the educational opportunities for kids.
“We found that really helps drive family engagement, and of course family engagement, we’ve found, is a really good indicator of students’ success in whatever school environment they’re in,” said Musacchio.
Right now, just a hand full of days after the passing of the bill, the Catholic Conference does not know how much, if any, this will impact applications or enrollment, but it does feel that it’s a moment for families to find out what the best educational option is for their kids.
“Parents are the first teachers, and they really drive the education of their children,” said Musacchio. “The state making these scholarships available supports parents in that role and helps them make decisions that are not tied to their own individual pocketbook and encourages finding the best fit for their own particular student.”
The legislation still awaits Gov. Lee’s signature.
Copyright 2025 WVLT. All rights reserved.
