Diverting federal funding to private institutions shortchanges public school students, Democrats say

NASHVILLE — Public school students are getting shortchanged by a state decision to reroute millions worth of CARES Act grant funding to private schools, Democratic senators said Tuesday.

“Right now our public schools don’t have the funding and technology they need to connect with every child during this pandemic and the gap is even greater in areas that have been under resourced because the state’s broken funding formula,” Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville) said. “This decision shortchanges the very public school students who most need our support.”

“Before the pandemic, there was already a well-documented gap in education and technology resources available to students in homes with financial stability versus homes where the parents are struggling just to get by,” Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said. “The CARES Act funding was intended to bridge that gap and connect public school students to resources they need to learn at home. I’m afraid this decision — to boost private schools at the expense of public school students — worsens that divide.”

According to Chalkbeat, Tennessee plans to follow controversial guidance from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and reroute millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief money to private schools. The article reported that Tennessee expects to submit its application this week to receive an estimated $260 million in federal CARES funding.

“The decision means students in the state’s 200-plus private schools could receive more support than they expected from Tennessee’s share, while high-poverty public school districts would get less money,” Chalkbeat reported.