Sen. Blackburn Expresses Support for Public Charter Schools and Open Enrollment

Senator Blackburn announcing her bid for governor last August (Photo by Sky Arnold)

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-TN, has made her support for school choice a central issue from the very beginning of her 2026 gubernatorial campaign. Blackburn has repeatedly spoken in favor of the Education Freedom Scholarship, which allows families to use tax dollars for private school expenses, and this week she endorsed two other parental choice options.

In an exclusive interview with the Tennessee Firefly’s On the Fly podcast, Blackburn said she supports expanding public charter schools to suburban and rural communities and removing barriers for open enrollment.

Reducing the Cost of Open Enrollment

Tennessee law requires local school districts to conduct an open enrollment period before the start of the school year, giving families who live outside the district the opportunity to apply. 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.

Blackburn expressed support to the Tennessee Firefly for removing this tuition barrier.

“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.”

Voters elected Blackburn to the U.S. Senate in 2018, and last August, she announced her bid in this year’s race to succeed Governor Bill Lee. She will face Congressman John Rose and State Representative Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, in the Republican primary next August.

Before serving as a U.S. Senator, Blackburn spent 16 years representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District and served as a State Senator before then, from 1999 to 2003.

Labs of Innovation

During her years at the Tennessee State Capitol, Blackburn voted in favor of the initial bill creating public charter schools. Today, there are more than 100 of them in five counties, but very few are located in suburban and rural communities.

Blackburn says she supports changing that.

“I think that charter schools can be the labs of innovation for public school systems, giving teachers the flexibility, working with students,” said Blackburn. “We should be asking, how do we create the best educational environment for our children?”

Charter schools are free public schools that operate under a “charter” with a school district or the state. Recent research from Stanford University found that Tennessee’s charter students received the equivalent of an additional 34 days in reading and 39 days in math compared to their traditional public school peers.

Despite those successes, many still struggle to secure adequate facilities. Charter schools don’t receive local funding for facilities like traditional public schools, and last month, a high-performing charter in Nashville announced its closure due to facilities challenges.

The General Assembly has included funding in recent years to help charter schools acquire facilities but that funding has not kept up with increased enrollment. Blackburn told the Tennessee Firefly that she supports continuing to provide annual extra funding for charter facilities, along with reducing costly government red tape that creates barriers for them.

“Yes, you know, making certain that you've got those financial opportunities there,” said Blackburn. “Not everything is money. Much of it is a savings that you can bring to the process.”

Best Person for the Job

Blackburn’s primary opponent, Congressman Rose, announced last year that he would appoint a Department of Education commissioner with Tennessee teaching experience if elected governor.

Senator Blackburn told the Tennessee Firefly that it’s “premature” to say how she’d approach the search for a new commissioner, though she did say there’s one quality she’ll be looking for.

“I want the very best person for the job,” said Blackburn. “Our children deserve that and Tennessee taxpayers deserve that, and that's what people are wanting to see. They want to see somebody who is going to be the best person for the job.”

Supporting CTE and Higher Education

Governor Bill Lee’s administration has made significant investments in the Tennessee College(s) of Applied Technology (TCAT), including $1 billion to improve existing TCATs, replace seven outdated facilities, and build six new locations. TCATS provide students with career and technical education (CTE) training in a variety of fields, from automotive and aviation maintenance technology to nursing, welding, and commercial driver’s license training.

Blackburn said she would make expanding access to TCATs a priority for her administration as well to address future job shortages.

“We're going to be 315,000 jobs short over the next decade in these skill trades. So, making certain that there is access to this vocational training,” said Blackburn. “So, does it mean we need to think differently? Absolutely. Does it mean that we need to have access to these TCATs all across our state? Absolutely, it does.”

Senator Blackburn told the Tennessee Firefly that another higher education priority for her administration would be to continue supporting the partnerships colleges and universities have with external partners.

Blackburn specifically referenced the impact of the University of Tennessee’s nuclear sciences partnership with Oak Ridge, the University of Memphis’ drone partnership with the U.S. Navy, and Vanderbilt University’s work with Fort Campbell on the Pathfinder Program.

“All of this opens doors of opportunity,” said Blackburn. “It increases the ability of our students to work alongside researchers and work in R&D (research and development) and develop a skill set that we want those students to stay here in Tennessee when they graduate and put those skills to work here.”

Three polls by the Beacon Center of Tennessee, including one released this week, show Blackburn with a roughly 50-point lead over her primary opponents in the governor’s race among Republican voters. This week, she also announced campaign contribution totals that exceeded the combined haul of every announced Republican and Democratic candidate in the race.