A school choice measure allowing students to take classes from other public school districts was approved unanimously Tuesday by two key state legislative committees.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Roger Kane and Sen. Delores Gresham, establishes a “course access program” that allows public school students to use a limited form of a school voucher to pay for courses from other public schools or districts via webcam and computer.
The measure is expected to reach the House and Senate floors during the next week after getting Tuesday’s green light in the House and Senate finance committees.
“Say you have a child who wants to study international business when he gets to college, but your high school only has French I and II,” Kane told the House panel. “You could go in through this program … and you could take French III or IV at your public high school, but maybe Putnam County is teaching it.”
The proposal comes with a price tag of about $100,000 for each participating districts, and a neutral price tag for the state.
The cost was substantially pared down by limiting the program to only Tennessee public schools; eventually, sponsors hope students can use the money to take classes at private schools, universities or online, which would cost the state about $8 million a year. The bill’s sponsors decided to shrink the scope of the proposal after realizing the level of accountability and oversight — and the associated cost — that would be involved.
If the bill becomes law, (continue reading)