(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) applauded the House Education Committee for passing House Bill 939, also known as the Education Savings Account Bill, which creates new opportunities for students who reside in areas with a substantial number of low performing schools.
This legislation establishes Tennessee’s education savings account program and will provide new opportunities for academic success for students in areas where there are three or more schools performing in the bottom 10 percent.
Tennessee has led the nation with important K-12 education reforms over the last decade, which has improved our student outcomes. Because of strategic Republican-led investments in education, our students are the fastest improving in the entire nation across math, reading, and science, and last year, we achieved the best high school graduation rates ever — 89.1 percent.
ESAs are one small piece of a much broader plan that is currently moving through our General Assembly.
During Fiscal Year 2019-2020, a total investment of $6.5 billion will benefit K-12 education in our public schools. This includes $71 million in pay raises. Approximately $46 million will be allocated to fully fund the state’s Basic Education Program (BEP), and another $40 million will help secure our schools by adding school resource officers and other safety measures.
The overall goal of these components and others is to improve our schools and help get Tennessee out of the bottom half nationally.
“I applaud the Education Committee for passing an important piece of our comprehensive education plan that will help reform our K-12 education system,” said Leader Lamberth. “I want to thank Governor Lee and Speaker Casada for their vigorous work in garnering support for this legislation. This is an important first step in the process of continuing our recent gains in education, and I look forward to working on the implementation of the entire plan so we can solidify our state’s future.”
House Bill 939 will now be heard by members of the House Government Operations Committee.
William Lamberth represents House District 44 and is the Majority Leader for the 111th General Assembly. Lamberth is a member of the Judiciary Committee, Select Committee on Rules, Select Committee on Ethics, Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Government Operations Committee, Joint Pensions and Insurance Committee and the Calendar & Rules Committee. He also sits on the Criminal Justice Subcommittee and the Joint Government Operations Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee.