Tennessee supports expanding private school choice, poll says 

A new poll finds most Tennesseans want more families to have access to private-school scholarships. 

The Beacon Center poll of the state’s registered voters shows 56% support lifting the state’s funding cap on Education Freedom Scholarships, which are currently set at $7,295 per student, so all eligible families who applied this year can benefit. 

Lawmakers allocated $149 million for the program’s first year, enough to cover 20,000 scholarships, with a priority for low-income students, but more than 40,000 students applied. The program is set to go universal in 2026. 

A majority of Democrats supported the expansion of funding, Beacon reported. However, 30% of all voters surveyed want the cap to stay the same. 

“Polling has shown consistent support for school choice in Tennessee and throughout the country,” Mark Cunningham, the center’s senior fellow for public opinion, said in a release. 

“Despite Tennessee passing a universal school choice bill last session, voters want to see even more,” he added. “A whopping 56% of voters believe the cap on Education Freedom Scholarships should be lifted so that more families can use the program… Most voters believe the program should be expanded to all eligible families.” 

Cunningham pointed out a notable trend among Democrats, saying, “Despite no votes from any Democratic member of the legislature, 52% of Democrats would like to see the cap lifted so that all eligible families can use Education Freedom Scholarships.” 

Additionally, the poll found 65% of Tennesseans support the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s law banning sex-change treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender-identifying minors; 26% oppose the ruling. 

A partisan split

The Beacon poll shows a partisan split on the issue with Republicans and independents largely backing the decision, while most Democrats oppose it. 

As Tennessee cities grow, raising property taxes has become a common way to fund local services. However, 62% of voters believe tax hikes will harm communities, and 70% support limits or bans on property taxes. Even 64% of Democrats favor such limits, the poll says. 

Tennesseans are sharply divided on tariffs, with 45% saying tariffs act like taxes that raise prices, while 44% believe tariffs are needed to protect American-made goods. 

The poll also finds strong nonpartisan opposition to taxpayer-funded lobbying. Republicans, Democrats and independents all strongly disapprove of public money being used to lobby government officials. 

Also, the poll found Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, leads the 2026 GOP primary for governor with 66% support, far ahead of Rep. John Rose, R-Tennessee, at 14%. 

The poll indicates Blackburn would have a strong advantage against a generic Democrat in the general election, leading by 19 points.