Rep. Jody Barrett, a Dickson Republican photographed at a March 2024 rally, says passage of universal school vouchers could place Tennessee on a “fiscal cliff.” (Photo: John Partipilo)
A Tennessee Republican lawmaker is making light of Gov. Bill Lee’s private-school voucher plan, saying wealthy characters on the 1960s show “Gilligan’s Island” would benefit from it as much as the poor while the rest of the “castaways” put up the money.
Besides questions about the program’s equity, state Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson says it will cause long-term financial problems for the state.
“There’s a fiscal cliff that will occur with this down the road,” Barrett said, adding he believes in a decade the program could cost $1 billion a year, including “scholarships” and related expenses.
“I just think it’s a dangerous bill fiscally for us that creates an entitlement program that will never go away,” Barrett added.
In a social media statement posted over the weekend, Barrett said, “Under the proposed Education Freedom Act, Thurston Howell III would be eligible to get the same $7k scholarship as Gilligan. Seems like a stretch to suggest that this plan would create any additional freedom for Thurston & Lovey. Meanwhile, the rest of the castaways pay for it.”
Lee’s plan, which is to be taken up this week in a special session of the legislature, calls for providing more than $7,000 to 20,000 students statewide and then expanding by about 5,000 annually. Half of those students in the first year could come from families with incomes at 300% of the federal poverty level, an estimated $175,000 for a family of four, while the rest would have no income limit. No maximum income would be placed on the program after the first year.
Under the proposed Education Freedom Act, Thurston Howell III would be eligible to get the same $7k scholarship as Gilligan. Seems like a stretch to suggest that this plan would create any additional freedom for Thurston & Lovey. Meanwhile, the rest of the castaways pay for it. pic.twitter.com/dVOTZRphjq
— State Rep. Jody Barrett (TN69) (@Jodyforstaterep) January 26, 2025
House Speaker Cameron Sexton recently said he believes the House has enough votes to pass the governor’s plan, which is slated to cost upwards of $450 million the first year alone.
But Barrett’s opposition is a sign that rural Republicans could throw up a stumbling block as the special session begins. Barrett said his vote will be based on the stance of his constituents, who made it “unequivocally clear” they are against the governor’s bill.
In addition to Democrats, rural Republicans are the most likely to oppose the governor’s voucher plan because of the financial impact it could have on school districts that are often the largest employers in their constituency.
Besides the potential effect on his school districts, Barrett said one of his biggest concerns is the long-term impact on the state budget. He pointed out K-12 funding is slated to go up 3% annually, as will the amount for private-school vouchers each year.
School boards across the state have passed resolutions opposing the plan. But this year’s version says a school district’s funding “shall not decrease from one year to the next due to the disenrollment of students.” If districts lose students, though, the state would pay additional funds to those districts to cover transfers for just one year.
The bill denies “scholarships” to undocumented students, even though a 1982 Supreme Court case, Plyler v. Doe, prohibits states from denying students a free public education based on immigration status.
Besides the private-school voucher bill, lawmakers will take up Lee’s immigration enforcement plan, which involves setting up a new bureau and director within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, providing relief to flood victims in East Tennessee and setting up a transportation authority to oversee public-private partnerships.
Critics of the voucher plan say the governor is trying to cloud the issues by putting so many critical topics into one special session.
House leaders said the legislature will continue to invest “heavily” in education while expanding “school choice” for parents.
Bills will be approached separately in House committees and won’t be linked, according to Rep. Jeremy Faison, chairman of the House Republican Caucus.
“The notion that the speaker or the governor or anybody in leadership would hold hostage somebody in East Tennessee and their people, that we’re not going to bring relief to them if they don’t vote for the governor’s voucher bill, that’s silly,” Faison said.
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