Haslam Undecided On School Vouchers

Gov. Bill Haslam says he is still weighing the pros and cons of school vouchers, and plans to announce his position on the measure toward the end of the year.

The Republican governor told members of the Nashville Rotary Club on Monday that he understands the motivations for creating school vouchers for children in failing schools.

But he 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.

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.