One unresolved question was whether lawmakers might further expand the number of families who can use tax dollars for private school expenses.

An amendment under consideration would expand the scope of who can qualify to use tax dollars for private school expenses.

The legislation now heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk.

The House’s version of the legislation increases the number of available scholarships by 15,000.

Supporters say the expansion is needed because the program has reached its 20,000-scholarship capacity for two consecutive years.

18 Democrats and 1 GOP gubernatorial candidate voted against the bill.

Democrats fail in bid to increase accountability for the program.

The House K-12 Subcommittee advanced the plan on a 5-3 vote on Tuesday morning.

Grundy County teachers were the only educators in the state who didn’t receive a $2,300 bonus.

Governor Lee is proposing $339 million in new K-12 spending.

The House K-12 subcommittee voted the legislation down on a 2-5 party-line vote Tuesday morning.

Lee said demand warrants the investment in what’s expected to be a tighter budget year to expand the number of scholarships to 40,000.

According to a news release, the Tennessee Department of Education has received more than 50,304 new and renewal applications for the program that allows families to use taxpayer dollars for private school expenses.

Lawmakers are expected to debate multiple issues that played a prominent role in last year’s legislative session, including state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

More than 60 percent of respondents said they support expanding the Education Freedom Scholarship and adopting policies that allow parents to send their children to public schools across district or county lines without paying tuition.

Parents named in the suit argue the program violates the Education Clause of the Tennessee Constitution by diverting funds from public schools and preventing students the adequate education guaranteed by the state constitution.

Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds reported that roughly 90,000 students have been participating in the camps each summer, and 73 percent of those students attended at least 90 percent of the programming.

On Monday, a panel hosted by the League of Women Voters of Murfreesboro‑Rutherford County brought together education leaders from private, charter, and traditional public schools to debate the emerging landscape of school choice in Tennessee.

Tennessee gubernatorial candidate and state lawmaker Monty Fritts was the only legislator to oppose continuing the Tennessee Department of Education during this week’s sunset hearings at the State Capitol.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon named White as the chair of the National Assessment Governing Board that oversees the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), frequently called the Nation’s Report Card.