Tennessee
Tennessee has two private school choice programs, a school voucher and an education savings account.
Tennessee offers K–12 students and their families several types of school choice, including two private school choice programs, charter schools, magnet schools, homeschooling, and inter-district and intra-district public school choice via an open enrollment policy.
Education Savings Account Pilot Program
- Tennessee’s Education Savings Account Pilot Program is a state-funded voucher program that is available to students from low- and middle-income households in Memphis and Nashville who are switching out of a public district or charter school or are eligible for the first time to enroll in a Tennessee school. Voucher students who enroll in private schools may also use the voucher funds for various K–12 and higher education expenses in addition to private school tuition and fees.
- The program is currently inoperable pending litigation.
- Enacted 2019
Program Facts:
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- Income Limit: 200 percent x free lunch
- Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes, with exceptions
- Geographic Limit: Memphis and Nashville
- Enrollment Cap: 5,000 students (escalator)
- Voucher Cap: approximately $7,300 (2020–21)
- Testing Mandates: State test
Individualized Education Account Program
- Tennessee’s Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program provides parents funds to pay for a variety of educational services for their children, including private school tuition, tutoring, online education, curriculum, therapy, post-secondary Tennessee educational institutions and other defined educational services.
- Enacted 2015
Program Facts:
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- Income Limit: None
- Prior Year Public School Requirement: Yes, with exceptions
- Geographic Limit: Statewide
- Enrollment Cap: None
- Account Cap: 100 percent of state and local funds reflected in the state funding formula and categorical grants for students with special needs
- Testing Mandates: State test or Nationally norm-referenced tests (grades 3–8)
- Additional Information: Limited to students diagnosed with autism, deaf-blindness, a hearing impairment or deafness, an intellectually disability, an orthopedic impairment, a traumatic brain injury, or a visual impairment or blindness
