Agudath Israel of America proudly celebrates the passage of the Education Freedom Act of 2025 by the Tennessee General Assembly today, just one day after its delegation visited the State Capitol to advocate for the landmark school choice bill.

Led by Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld, Agudath Israel’s Director of State Relations, the group of community leaders and advocates engaged lawmakers across the political spectrum. Throughout the day, the delegation expressed gratitude to bill supporters, encouraged undecided legislators to back the initiative, and engaged in meaningful discussions with those opposed.

A highlight of the day was a meeting with Governor Bill Lee, who has led the effort on expanding educational freedom in Tennessee, where they commended his leadership on school choice and thanked him for his support of the Jewish community following the events of October 7.

The Education Freedom Act of 2025 expands on the already existing school choice pilot program by making 20,000 scholarships available in the 2025-26 school year, with priority for low-income students, students with disabilities, and those in the existing ESA program. The bill ensures universal eligibility by 2026-27 and includes provisions for annual expansion if demand remains high. (More details below).

“Agudath Israel has long championed school choice as a critical tool for expanding educational access and opportunity, ,” said Rabbi Ari Weisenfeld. “The organization applauds Tennessee’s leaders for their decisive action and looks forward to the Education Freedom Act’s successful implementation, which will empower families to choose the best educational paths for their children.”

“This is a game changing piece of legislation for our community in Memphis,” said Rabbi Dr. Gavriel Brown, Head of School, Margolin Hebrew Academy. “We thank our legislators, the governor, and Agudath Israel for their advocacy on behalf of our students and community.”

Under the program:

  • In the 2025-26 school year, 20,000 scholarships will be available:
    • 10,000 for students at or below 300% of the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, or those eligible for the existing ESA program.
    • 10,000 for a universal pool of students entitled to attend a public school.
  • Starting in 2026-27, the program will expand to universal eligibility, prioritizing currently enrolled students, low-income students, and public school students if demand exceeds available funding.
  • 5,000 additional scholarships will be added each year if at least 75% of the total scholarships were applied for in the previous year.
  • Each scholarship is valued at approximately $7,000

Agudah delegation with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee
Photo Credits: Tennessee Governors Office.