New Poll Finds Voters Support Removing Barriers to Enroll Students Across County Lines

Data by Tennesseans for Student Success

The Tennessee Nature Academy opened its doors in 2023 at a location in south Davidson County that was not only ideal for its “nature-based” education model but also close to the border with multiple counties. The public charter school is unique in Tennessee for infusing nature into the curriculum, with students even learning in a specially designed outdoor classroom.

Fifth-grade math teacher Alicia Herrera says the plan from the beginning was to be open to enrolling students outside the county who lack options to attend a similar type of school within their zoned district.

“We’re right on the border with Brentwood and Antioch, and so, part of that plan was so that kids from other counties could come,” said Herrera. “As an educator, I think it's super important for parents to have the ability, with no worrying, to send their kid wherever they choose to, so that their kid can have a really successful school life.”

Polling Shows Support for Open Enrollment

A new poll of 500 Tennessee voters released this week by education advocacy organization Tennesseans for Student Success found that most voters agree with Herrera.

More than 82 percent of respondents support allowing students to enroll in public schools outside their zoned schools when space is available. Just 10 percent opposed that policy. That support was even higher in Memphis, where more than 87 percent of respondents supported open enrollment, and in Chattanooga, where more than 85 percent favored it.

The Tennessee Firefly is a project of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.

Calls to Reform Open Enrollment Policies

Tennessee law requires local school districts to conduct an open enrollment period before the start of the school year, allowing out-of-district families to apply. In recent years, there have been calls to make the process even easier and ensure it’s not a financial burden for parents or school districts.

For example, most districts charge these nonresident students an annual tuition, with rates ranging from $4,000 in the Franklin Special School District to $1,000 to $2,000 for many others.

Lawmakers are expected to debate legislation this year to remove that tuition barrier and extend the application period. The proposal received a boost when Tennessee gubernatorial candidate U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn confirmed last week that she supports removing these barriers to open enrollment.

“You know the number one thing we need to ask is how do we make certain that that child is going to be able to learn that they're going to be in that right environment,” said Blackburn. “Then looking at those obstacles and saying how can we remove these obstacles, because we should focus on that child and their education. That should be the item, number one. So, removing those barriers and those obstacles, that's what needs to be on the table.”

The legislation is expected to mirror the open-enrollment policies currently in place in Idaho and southern states like Arkansas and Florida.