The Knox County school board members were evenly split on whether to send a message to Tennessee’s Republican supermajority lawmakers as they debate Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher expansion plan.
In the end, the lack of consensus means board member Jennifer Owen’s resolution against vouchers failed.
The 4-4 vote Feb. 8 reflects the members’ political leanings, with the District 8 seat vacant after the death of Mike McMillan.
In opposition were board chair Betsy Henderson, vice chair Steve Triplett, Susan Horn and Kristi Kristy. Owen, Katherine Bike, John Butler and Daniel Watson had hoped to send a message to Nashville that vouchers will hurt Knox County Schools.
Owen argued that public tax dollars should stay with public schools, not go to private ones. Vouchers would allow students to essentially have credit from the state to help pay their tuition at a private or religious school.
“Our duty is to be very specific about public schools, so when we’re talking about the needs of public schools and we’re talking to our legislators about the needs of public schools, I think we have a responsibility to let them know when they are doing something that would not be in the best public interest of our public schools,” Owen said at the board’s Feb. 8 meeting.