Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes the Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship program.

Highlights:

• Establishes the Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Program, a taxpayer-funded scholarship program to assist low-income “eligible students” in attending private schools (Sec. 1).

• Defines “eligible student” as a student who meets certain criteria, including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• The student resides in Tennessee and is zoned to attend or is enrolled in a public school in the bottom 5 percent of overall achievement in the state;
• The student is eligible for free or reduced price lunch; and
• The student was enrolled in a Tennessee public school during the previous two semesters or is enrolling in a Tennessee school for the first time. 

• Requires a school participating in the program to meet certain criteria, including, but not limited to, the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• To voluntarily enroll eligible students; 
• To provide annual notice to the Department of Education of intent to participate in the program; and
• To be identified as a category 1, 2, or 3 school in the state. 

• Requires the Department of Education to develop necessary procedures for administering the scholarship program, including, but not limited to, the following procedures (Sec. 1):
• Providing notice to parents of student eligibility for participating schools;
• Accepting applications from parents of eligible students and providing scholarships; and
• Establishing application and participation timelines that will maximize student and school participation.

• Specifies that an eligible student is entitled to 1 scholarship per school year (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Department of Education to award a certain number of scholarships per year through the program, including the following number of scholarships (Sec. 1):
• No more than 5,000 scholarships for the 2015-2016 school year;
• No more than 7,500 scholarships for the 2016-2017 school year;
• No more than 10,000 scholarships for the 2017-2018 school year; and 
• No more than 20,000 scholarships for the 2018-2019 school year.

• Specifies that if there are scholarships available after all eligible students have been matched with participating schools, the remaining scholarships may be awarded to students in a local education agency that contains at least 1 school in the bottom 5 percent of overall achievement (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text