KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Kingsport Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution opposing Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed school voucher plan with some members criticizing alleged “political posturing” and “extortion.”

The resolution was approved in a 4–0 vote during the board’s Tuesday night meeting. Board member Todd Golden was absent.

The governor’s proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Act would expand the state’s school voucher program to all 95 counties. The program provides vouchers to families to cover at least some of the cost of sending their children to private schools.

The controversial proposal failed to pass in the General Assembly last year but a new version was introduced for the new legislation session that got underway Tuesday.

The Kingsport school board resolution lists concerns about private schools not facing the same “academic standards, transparency requirements, accountability methods, and performance measures” as public schools.

“Nor are they required to accept all students and offer needed specialized programs,” the resolution states.

Board member Jamie Jackson, a former special education teacher, expressed her dislike of the bill.

“I am 100% against this type of situation where my students, our special-ed community are probably going to be stiff armed from these vouchers,” Jackson said. “There’s going to be very few opportunities for them in the private sector. And even if they do go, they will not be receiving the level of support and care that they’re receiving now in the public school system.”

Jackson encourages those in the special education community to voice their concerns about vouchers.

The resolution also voices concerns about the diversion of much-needed public funds to private institutions.

Board President Melissa Woods explained her opposition to the voucher proposal.

“We are all for parent choice and we feel that parents have a choice, but the way this legislation is drafted it will have a negative impact on public schools,” Woods said.

Woods told News Channel 11 the legislation does not provide a level playing field for public schools versus private schools.

“Private schools have the option to pick and choose who they want to be in their schools and so that’s just not an option that we have,” Woods said. “And so that’s, you know, we don’t pick our own team, so to speak.”

Woods is also concerned about the wording in the legislation that prevents public schools from losing funding due to low enrollment.

“It doesn’t say for how long. So that could be for one year. It could be for ten years. It’s not stated in the legislation. And honestly, if we were held harmless forever, that is just not a fiscally sound way to use taxpayer money because if that student was originally in a public school and we’re getting funds for that student, and then they transfer to a private school, then they’re going to have moneys that go to the private school as well. So, we’re paying double for a student. That is not fiscally sound, nor in my opinion, can that be maintained over a long period of time.”

Multiple other local school boards have also voiced their opposition to vouchers, including those in Johnson City, Greeneville, and Sullivan and Washington counties.

Despite the opposition by local school leaders, seven Northeast Tennessee county mayors recently signed a letter expressing support for the plan. Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable was among them.

Some have taken issue with the letter because it mentions “the inclusion of disaster relief.”

“Because we are against this bill does not mean we are against the relief that needs to be provided to those areas, but I think I can speak for all of us when we say that those two things are completely separate issues,” Board Member Phillip Marshall said. “And, to me, lumping these two things together is political posturing and nothing more than that.”

Board Vice President Brandon Fletcher criticized the alleged tactics “to pressure local governments into supporting the bill.”

“Some call it underhanded, some call it posturing…it’s political extortion,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said anyone supporting those tactics should be “ashamed.”

“To hold our neighbors and communities hostage for a political agenda,” Fletcher said.

Woods said she wishes Mayor Venable would’ve talked to the BOE and administrators before supporting the legislation.

“And we just feel like educators and those in education administration really are the experts in this,” Woods said. “And we would have liked to have had an opportunity to speak to them and have a conversation, not one that would end in one day, but an ongoing conversation about the pros and cons of this legislation. We didn’t have that opportunity.”

Earlier Tuesday, Carter County Patty Woodby, who was among those who signed the pro-voucher letter, said it was not the result of pressure from the governor’s office. State Rep. David Hawk, who represents Greene County, said he did not think the school voucher bill would “dictate anything about funding for hurricane relief.”

Woods said the board’s resolution to oppose vouchers is in support of public educators.

“We open our doors every day to provide kids the best possible opportunity in education that we can,” Woods said. “So we want them to know we 1,000% support what they’re doing. We believe in what they’re doing, and we will do everything we can to support them. And this is one way that we can support public education and those who give so sacrificially to public education.”

The Kingsport school board resolution’s approval came just five days after the board hosted local lawmakers for a “legislative breakfast,” during which school vouchers were discussed. Board President Woods said members had a “very good conservation” with lawmakers.

Woods said the resolution would be sent to local lawmakers.