www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-20 11:31:00
The Tennessee Department of Education reported that 38,160 families have applied for the state’s first Education Freedom Scholarships. The General Assembly approved 20,000 scholarships of \$7,295 each for the 2025-26 school year, totaling \$146 million in the first year. Half of the scholarships are for families below 300% of the federal poverty level. The remaining applications are for universal scholarships with no income restrictions. Despite strong demand, the program has faced criticism from Democrats, with some calling it a “billion-dollar boondoggle” that undermines public schools. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
(The Center Square) – The Tennessee Department of Education said Tuesday that 38,160 families have applied for the state’s first Education Freedom Scholarships.
The General Assembly approved 20,000 scholarships of $7,295 for the 2025-26 school year at a price tag of $146 million in the first year and $188 million in future years.
Half of the scholarships will be awarded to families whose income falls 300% below the federal free or reduced-lunch price guidelines, which is $173,160 a year for a family of four, according to the education department. Less than half of the applications, 18,852, are qualified income scholarships, the education department said. The remaining 19,308 applications are from universal scholarships with no income restrictions.
Applications were received from 300 ZIP codes. The petitions came from all grades, with an estimated 2,935 applications per grade level, the department said.
“The demand for universal school choice in Tennessee is strong, and families are embracing the freedom they have been provided through the Education Freedom Scholarship Program,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “All students deserve the ability to access a learning environment that best fits their unique needs.”
The department is still accepting applications that will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. A waiting list will be established for families that qualify but did not receive one, according to the department.
Democrats expressed different opinions about the scholarships and voted against them during the special session.
Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, called them a “billion-dollar boondoggle that shortchanges Tennessee’s public school students and teachers.”
“If wealthy families want to send their kids to private schools, that’s their right,” Lamar said in a statement released last week. “But they shouldn’t expect the public to foot the bill. Tennessee’s public tax dollars belong in public schools – where those funds are subject to accountability, oversight and where every student is welcome.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The content primarily reports on the Education Freedom Scholarships program in Tennessee, presenting factual information about the number of applicants, scholarship details, and comments from officials. It includes perspectives from both supporters, such as the Education Commissioner highlighting the demand and benefits, and opposition voices, like the Democratic Senator emphasizing concerns about funding public schools. The article refrains from using loaded language or framing that favors one side, instead providing a balanced overview of the issue. This approach indicates neutral, factual reporting rather than endorsing a particular ideological stance.
SUMMARY: University of Tennessee extended football head coach Josh Heupel’s contract through January 2030 after leading the program to its best three-year stretch in over 20 years. Heupel boasts a 37-15 record, 11 wins over top 25 teams, and the school’s first College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six appearances, with a .712 winning percentage—the second highest in 50 years. Taking over a struggling program in 2021 amid NCAA sanctions, Heupel rebuilt the team’s culture and exceeded SEC media poll expectations. The Vols open the 2025 season against Syracuse on August 30. His previous contract paid over $8.7 million annually plus incentives.
At an August 2025 public hearing in Knoxville, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) supporters urged the utility to remain public. This came after President Trump threatened to fire the TVA board if they did not remove TVA President Don Moul, who faced backing from unions, local governments, and environmental groups despite some criticism of TVA’s fossil fuel use. Mike Arms, representing local governments, highlighted TVA’s role in affordable power, economic development, and disaster relief. The TVA board, lacking a quorum due to recent firings, showed no sign of firing Moul, emphasizing TVA’s stability and innovation, including a new nuclear reactor project.
Keep the Tennessee Valley Authority public, said speakers at a Wednesday public hearing in Knoxville.
The hearing came one day before a TVA board meeting and after President Donald Trump threatened to fire the TVA Board of Directors if they do not fire TVA president Don Moul. The board refused in a letter.
Since his threat, Trump has not disbanded the board and insteadnominated new members. Trump expressed interest in privatizing TVA’s power lines during his first term, and the news of his recent threat set off a backlash from unions and their members, environmentalists and local government officials who showed up to defend Moul and a public TVA.
Mike Arms, executive director of the Association of Tennessee Valley Governments, which represents local governments in the Tennessee Valley region, said that there are over 150 local power companies distributing TVA’s power.
An opponent of privatization, Arms spoke of the schools, homes, libraries and even Friday night lights of football that depended on TVA’s “affordable, reliable power.” He also noted TVA’s help with economic development, navigation, flood control, disaster relief and recovery, tourism, recreation, land management and even help for school robotics programs.
“We need to do what Barney Fife (of the “Andy Griffith Show”) says: nip it in the bud. So, it’s time for this group and all of our stakeholders to reach out to your congressmen,” Arms said, referring to the people assembled at the meeting who’d come from different organizations.
Unions’ leaders and members praised TVA as both a power provider and an employer and bargaining partner.
We need to do what Barney Fife says: nip it in the bud.
– Mike Arms, Association of Tennessee Valley Governments
“This job gave me a livable wage and allowed me to have a seven-year-old daughter,” said Eddie Mitchell, a union steelworker from Alabama.
Environmental groups have criticized TVA’s reliance on fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. However, at the public hearing even they promoted TVA’s status quo as better than the privatized alternative.
“It’s nice to be part of the TVA love fest today,” said Pam Jones of the CleanUpTVA Coalition.
“The public power model is meant to serve the people of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley,” said Bonnie Swinford, with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “We have paid for what we’ve built through TVA, and we are going to have a better future with TVA being a public power model versus selling TVA off to billionaire interests.”
At the Aug. 22 TVA board meeting, the board members showed no sign of firing Moul at the next day’s meeting.
The board lacks a quorum after Trump recently fired three board members — including Beth Geer, chief of staff to former Vice President Al Gore — said Chairman Bill Renick.. However, he said the utility was “not an organization in chaos” and praised TVA’s small modular nuclear reactor under construction in Oak Ridge.
“TVA is strong. It is stable. It’s innovative and we have a very capable team in place that is meeting the needs of a growing region. This is a TVA team that is ready to lead, and it has for more than 90 years,” he said.
“We’re unleashing American energy and building for the future with some of the largest investments in our history,” said Moul, echoing Trump’s “Unleash American Energy” slogan. “The country, the region and local communities count on the people of TVA because we are mission driven, service oriented and able to take on the largest national challenges through our vast partnerships and expertise,” he said.
Unions represented at the public hearing included the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and the Engineering Association, IFPTE Local 1937, the Office of Professional Employees International Union, the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the Tennessee Building and Construction Trades Council and several other local trade unions.
Trump has nominated Lee Beaman, Jeff Hagood, Mitch Graves and Randall Jones. The U.S. Senate must approve Trump’s nominees.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This content leans center-left as it emphasizes support for maintaining the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a public entity, highlighting opposition to privatization efforts associated with former President Donald Trump. It features voices from unions, environmental groups, and local government officials who advocate for public ownership and criticize privatization, reflecting progressive and labor-oriented perspectives. However, it also presents factual reporting on Trump’s actions and TVA leadership without overtly partisan language, maintaining a relatively balanced tone overall.
SUMMARY: Franklin contractor Adam Ducey, operating as Geo’s Keeping LLC, faces investigations and multiple lawsuits for taking large deposits and abandoning projects incomplete. Customers report upfront payments, followed by excuses, silence, and broken promises. Court records reveal Ducey owes tens of thousands of dollars to several clients across counties, including over $34,000 in Davidson County. Local subcontractors claim unpaid dues exceeding $10,000. Ducey allegedly avoids payments by using his wife’s name and providing false information. Franklin police confirm an active investigation. Despite some court wins for customers, many victims remain unpaid, with some withholding complaints, hoping for refunds.
A Franklin contractor is accused of taking thousands of dollars and leaving customers with half finished jobs.
