A group of principals is opposing a Tennessee bill that would allow K-12 schools to refuse students based on their immigration status. The Hamilton County Principal Association, condemned the bill Wednesday, a day before the Tennessee Senate votes on the measure.
“Our schools are not only institutions of learning— they are the heart of our neighborhoods, and they reflect our shared values of inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for all,” the association said in a statement. “As school principals, we do not support any legislation that would restrict any child’s access to education. We stand firm with families and communities in upholding the values that make our public schools essential to a productive and just society.”
Gregory Wilkey, the President of the Hamilton County Principal Association, pointed to Plyler v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court case that established the right to an education for all students, regardless of immigration status. With SCOTUS’s current makeup, Republicans hopes to re-try Plyler with a different outcome, similar to how a Mississippi state law led to the reversal of federal abortion rights.
The HCPA has joined other local organizations, like The Tennessee Small Business Alliance, in publicly opposing the bill. The TSBA has said that immigrants contribute $4.4 billion in tax revenue every year. The bill’s potential impact on the state’s finances is still uncertain, according to a state fiscal review. Enforcement could potentially cost Tennessee up to $1.1 billion in federal education funding.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixon, represents part of Hamilton County, where the HCPA is based. It’s not the first time Watson has faced criticism from some of his constituents for the bill. Christian activists took the fight to Watson’s home church in Chattanooga last month, urging his congregation to call or email his office to voice their opposition.
In the following weeks, Watson’s office received several emails opposing the legislation and a few in favor, according to records obtained by WPLN News. While none of those emails follow the script that activists laid out at Watson’s church, the next day his office received emails appealing to his faith.
“I pray that you will find it in your heart to oppose this bill not only because it is the right thing to do to support children who are God’s children, just as our own are, but also because it is the fiscally responsible thing to do,” one Oak Ridge resident wrote.
“I don’t feel like I need to quote scripture because I know you can quote the chapter and verses,” another email read. “My request is that you slow down, pray, and listen to your conscience. Children should not suffer because of their parents’ decisions.”
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Watson has said that he proposed the legislation as an answer to a financial issue, citing a now-rescinded resolution from the Rutherford County School Board. The board had initially called on the state legislature to advocate for the “closure of our nation’s borders” and increased funding from the federal government for the district’s English language learner programs.
The HPCA has called on its local school board to release its own resolution, promising to allow school access to all children in Chattanooga.
The bill is set for a vote on the Senate floor Thursday morning.
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