Governor Bill Haslam says passage of a school-voucher bill next year is not guaranteed. Such a measure could divert public school dollars to help parents afford sending kids to private school instead.
Earlier this summer Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey said he expects some kind of voucher bill will make it through the legislature next year. For his part, Haslam said he doesn’t think it’s a done deal, adding quote “that’s a political observation, not a personal observation.”
Haslam says he still wants to know what kind of return on investment vouchers would yield in the way of academic results.
“In other words, that whatever money is transferred with that child is enough to really provide the education, but doesn’t wreck the existing school system. So getting that balance right I think will be the biggest challenge.”
A voucher bill has previously passed the state Senate, but not the House, and this year Haslam and lawmakers put off the matter to let a task force study it.
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