Sumner County families can weigh in on proposed state rules for charter schools, private-school scholarships and virtual learning at an Oct. 22 hearing in Nashville.
The Tennessee State Board of Education will hold the public rulemaking hearing Thursday, Oct. 22, at 9 a.m. Six sets of proposed rules are on the agenda: charter schools, Education Freedom Scholarships (EFS), Education Savings Accounts, Individualized Education Accounts, virtual schools, and school and student health services.
The hearing will take place at Davy Crockett Tower, 1st Floor, Conference Room 1B, 500 James Robertson Parkway. Residents who cannot travel to Nashville can attend electronically via WebEx.
Rachel Suppé, general counsel for the State Board of Education, will serve as hearing officer. Speakers must sign in, state their name and affiliation, and identify which rule they wish to address. Each speaker gets three minutes.
Written comments due by 9 a.m. Oct. 15
Residents who prefer to submit written comments before the hearing must do so by 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 15. The board said email is preferred because mail may not arrive in time. Comments can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to Rachel Suppé at the Tennessee State Board of Education, 8th Floor, Davy Crockett Tower, 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243.
The board's notice lists rule numbers and links to proposed rule text but does not summarize what would change under each proposal.
Education Freedom Scholarships in Sumner County
The EFS program is one of six rule sets on the Oct. 22 agenda. During the 2025-26 school year, the state administered 20,000 scholarships worth $7,295 each, allowing families to send children to participating private schools. Half were reserved for income-eligible students; the other half were open to any Tennessee student.
State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, chairs the House Education Administration Subcommittee and represents part of Sumner County. In an April 2025 press release encouraging local families to apply for EFS, Slater said, "Education Freedom Scholarships will put parents in the driver's seat, helping improve academic outcomes and setting Tennessee students up for success."
Slater also sponsored HB2177, a 2026 law that streamlines the charter school renewal process by establishing clear standards and automatic renewal for high-performing schools. Charter school rules are also on the Oct. 22 hearing agenda.
The board has not announced when it will vote on the proposed rules. Families and educators who want to shape the outcome can speak at the Oct. 22 hearing or email written comments by the Oct. 15 deadline.
