Note: This story was updated on March 6 to correctly identify the legislation that would be amended for the speakers' proposal.
NASHVILLE -- The speakers of the House and Senate at the Tennessee General Assembly plan an amendment to allow for creation of charter-run boarding schools and other types of schools.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press in a recent interview the planned amendment would also allow for creation of charter schools for home-schooled students and other alternative schools.
"It says you can start charter schools for home-schoolers, you can have charter schools for alternative schools and you can have charter for kids who are in trouble ... and then you can have charter boarding schools," said Sexton, who previously sketched out some aspects of the plan during the Tennessee Press Association's recent meeting in Nashville.
Sexton cited a meeting with Chattanooga Preparatory School officials, where they discussed boarding schools.
"I had lunch with Bob Corker, and he mentioned Chattanooga Prep and also mentioned how they were trying to do a boarding school," Sexton said of his meeting with the former U.S. senator from Chattanooga. "And there are other states who are doing it. It's a new concept coming on, but for kids who are higher risk, kids that are homeless."
The amendment would be attached to an existing legislative proposal, Senate Bill 1194 and House Bill 1214, which deals with a technical issue involving school board members attending meetings remotely.
The speaker said he also spoke with someone from San Jose, California, about alternative charter schools. Sexton said he was told they have had a "huge success." Sexton said the San Jose source told him 80% of those students go to college.
"And then," Sexton said, "we're also looking at charter schools for home-schoolers, trying to get them back into the fold and trying to get them into an opportunity."
State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, said Chattanooga Preparatory School, which is a charter school that receives state funding and accepts children from low-income families, "appeals to the inner-city community."
"And I think we've seen that a lot of the inner-city children sometimes don't come from a good home life," Gardenhire added. "And if we can provide them a good home life with good meals, a place to study where they feel safe, who can be against that?"
Efforts to reach a Tennessee Education Association official by phone Sunday were unsuccessful. The association represents many traditional public school students and staff and has opposed expansion of the privately run charter schools.
Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is a staunch supporter of charter schools and won approval in 2019 to launch a school voucher program in which low-income parents can use taxpayer dollars to attend private schools willing to accept them.
Chattanooga Prep official: 'Something we might be interested in'
Asked about the speaker's comments on Friday, Brad Scott, CEO for PREP Public Schools, which now includes Chattanooga Prep with plans in 2024 to open a Knox Preparatory School, another all-boys charter school, said in a statement that "Chattanooga Prep is not looking at any immediate plans to add student boarding to our model.
"However," Scott added, "since we have served young men that have experienced homelessness or violence at home due to our sizeable economically disadvantaged student population, the ability to be able to offer student housing or partner with a nonprofit that does could be something we might be interested in exploring in the future if the need persists since our No. 1 priority is to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment for young men that prepares them for college and career."
"We support Speaker Sexton's bill to expand potential public school choice options for families and appreciate his support for public charter schools," Scott added.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com.