New data shows participating state voucher-program schools receive more funding than public schools.
According to the Tennessee Senate Democrats, Gov. Bill Lee allocated $6.9 billion in funding to public schools for the 2026-27 school year. That totaled to $7,272 per student, which is $258 less per student for those participating in the Education Freedom Scholarship program ($7,530 per voucher.)
Data from the Tennessee Board of Education showed there are 29 school districts where public schools received less funding than voucher schools. University Schools in Memphis have a reported $663 “gap versus voucher” amount, while Sevier County Schools have a gap of $4,049.
“In some Tennessee communities, the state funding is dramatically worse than the state average,” said Senate Democrats. “This isn’t a new problem, but it is compounding.”
The group referenced data from the National Education Association which reported that Tennessee “spends less per public school student than any other state in the country.”
State Democrats said students and taxpayers are being “short-changed” by Lee’s program. Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) called the data “shameful.”
“All the evidence we have shows students in public schools are outperforming these voucher programs in academics,” said Lamar. “And yet the voucher programs continue to get a disproportionate share of tax funding.”
Earlier this year, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) said students enrolled in the voucher program showed growth in their performance scores, but still scored lower than the statewide average and public school attendees.
Students enrolled in the Education Savings Account (ESA) program in Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga reported increased competency, but the students did not score “as proficient or more proficient” than public school students statewide.
