School choice bill advances in close vote amid questions about data

(The Center Square) – A bill that would double the number of Education Freedom Scholarships was given the green light by the Tennessee House Education Committee in a close vote on Tuesday.

House Bill 2532 would double the number of scholarships from 20,000 to 40,000, raising the price tag to $310 million. Gov. Bill Lee is supporting the bill.

“Education freedom is changing lives, but there are still thousands of TN children waiting for the same opportunity,” Lee said in a Tuesday social media post. “It’s time we double Education Freedom Scholarships to 40,000 to serve even more TN students and families.”

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said more families want the scholarships. More than 56,000 students applied for the 2026-27 school year, while more than 38,000 applied for the 2025-26 school year, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.

The original bill, passed during a January 2025 special session, allowed for 20,000 in the initial year a...