NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Tennessee lawmaker is considering suing the Department of Education over unanswered and ignored public records requests on the state’s new school voucher program, while some parents say their children’s success is proof the program is working.
The voucher program, which the General Assembly passed this January, uses public dollars to send students to private schools if their parents choose.
Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville) told News 2 the Dept. of Education (TDOE) has refused to release basic information about the program and has delayed and denied valid public records requests.
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“We’re just trying to get a handle on this new state program, and unfortunately, we’re just getting a lot more questions than answers at this time,” Rep. Hemmer said.
According to recently released data by the TDOE, 42,827 families applied for a school voucher. More than 21,000 applicants requested the voucher with an income cap, and more than 21,000 requested the universal voucher. The state said students in 86 out of TN’s 95 counties received a voucher to attend one of the 220 out of the 241 eligible schools. The department did not provide a breakdown of the specific counties or schools.
Rep. Hemmer called that information “almost useless.”
“They’re not even telling us how many students they’ve given scholarships to, so we don’t even know if they provided more than the statutory amounts,” Rep. Hemmer said. “Just very basic questions that should be given to the public at large, media, and the legislators, and they’re not doing any of that.”
News 2 has filed multiple public records requests about the voucher program, which the TDOE has either ignored or delayed, in violation of the public records law. On Aug. 21, News 2 requested the zip codes of students who received a voucher. The department sent an initial acknowledgement of receipt the same day, however, officials did not send a proper response until Sept. 22, which read that the records were not immediately available and the department would need an estimated 30 additional days to gather them.
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“Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” Rep. Hemmer said. “If you’re constantly not adhering to statutory requirements from public records from the media, not answering legislators’ questions, it begs the question, what are you actually hiding?”
Rep. Hemmer wants to ensure issues other states have experienced with their voucher programs don’t happen in TN. He cited incidents in Arizona, where five people were indicted for creating “ghost voucher accounts” to steal more than $600,000, and in Florida, where voucher funding was used to buy tickets to Disney.
However, TN parent, Yadira Calderon, told News 2 her daughter is living proof the voucher program is working.
“She is at peace, she is calmer, she is excited for what is taking place, what is happening,” Calderon said. “Just a total 180 from what she experienced the last 11 years in public school.”
Calderon’s daughter was granted a voucher, which partially covers the tuition for her new private school.
“I am adjusting my budget and taking $500 out of my budget to complete the payment, but without the voucher, none of this would have happened,” Calderon said.
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Calderon encourages people to continue to push the TDOE for more transparency, and added she sees firsthand how her daughter is benefiting from the program.
“Here I am. I’m an open book. I can let you know that there are individuals like us, individuals like my family, with a child with specific needs that is 2,000% benefiting from the voucher,” Calderon said. “It was needed, it is here, it was granted, and I can breathe.”
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