NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is still weighing the pros and cons of a school vouchers proposal, and doesn't plans to announce his position on the measure until close to the end of the year.
The Republican governor told members of the Nashville Rotary Club on Monday he expects school vouchers to be "one of the most contentious issues" in the legislative session that begins in January.
"Like everything else, decisions aren't always easy," Haslam said. "As a good lawyer will say, 'I can argue both sides of that case.'"
Haslam said he understands the motivations for creating school vouchers for children in failing schools.
"The idea that parents having the choice for what's best for their child makes a lot of sense," he said. "And as somebody who believes that parents should have that right, I totally buy that."
But Haslam said he's also taking into account opposition by the school districts in the state's four largest cities and questions about whether private schools would pick up the tab for the balance of tuition not covered by the vouchers.
"I think it's incumbent upon us to at least do our homework and see how would the voucher system affect existing systems," Haslam said.
Haslam said he's also sensitive to arguments that the state has in the last two years undergone a series of sweeping changes in education, and that the introduction of school vouchers could confuse matters.
"A lot of folks are saying it may be a good idea, but maybe not right now," he said. "And that has some validity to it."
A Republican-sponsored bill to create a school voucher program for students in the state's four largest counties to attend private or religious schools passed the Senate earlier this year, but was deferred in the House until next session.
Sponsors said the measure is designed to help children from low-income families get out of failing schools and find the school that best meets their needs.
The governor last year pursued a different set of education priorities that included an overhaul of teacher tenure rules and lifting a cap on charter schools.
A contrary position on voucher schools would present a political dilemma for the governor by placing him at odds with some of the more vocal members of his own party. So Haslam is taking his time.
"Sometime in the next 30 or 45 days we're going to be coming out with what we recommend," he said.