Miranda Williams Thomas is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
The 2026 Tennessee legislative session saw lawmakers focus on expanding educational opportunity, strengthening math pathways and increasing transparency across the K-12 system. In the final legislative session of Gov. Bill Lee’s administration, state leaders advanced policies designed to give families more options, improve access to rigorous coursework and support long-term student success.
Below is a look at key laws Gov. Lee has signed, their impact on students and where lawmakers may focus in 2027.
As strong math and data science skills become increasingly critical for academic success, career readiness and lifelong opportunity, Tennessee lawmakers took an important step this session to expand access to advanced math coursework.
The work to improve math outcomes in Tennessee began in 2024 with SB 1712. The law improved educator preparation program training and professional development for K-8 math teachers and required a comprehensive analysis of math proficiency levels and professional development practices statewide.
In 2026, Rep. Scott Cepicky and Sen. Joey Hensley authored SB 2375, which guarantees access to advanced math opportunities for qualifying students and requires the Tennessee Department of Education to adopt advanced math policies for eighth grade students. The law also creates additional pathways for educators to teach advanced math courses.
The law reflects Tennessee’s broader emphasis on strengthening academic outcomes through clear statewide expectations and expanded access to rigorous instruction for more than 73,000 students statewide.
Tennessee lawmakers took an important step to support students’ college completion and career advancement. Championed by Rep. Mark White and Sen. Dawn White, SB 2141 strengthens the Tennessee Transfer Pathways, which helps students seamlessly transfer bundles of college credits and accelerate toward higher-level degrees and career success.
The law also formalizes the expansion of technical transfer pathways, ensuring students have multiple on-ramps and off-ramps to continue earning the credentials that will help them advance in their careers. Finally, the bill emphasizes quality by codifying a five-year transfer pathway review cycle and establishing a “transfer designation institution” recognition for colleges and universities that prioritizes the success of students with transfer credit.
Gov. Lee and Tennessee lawmakers prioritized education in the 2026 budget with increased funding for the state’s education scholarship account (ESA) program and additional funding for charter facilities.
Gov. Lee’s signature legislation, supported by Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds, established the Tennessee Education Freedom Act in 2025. The Education Freedom Scholarship program provides an ESA worth up to $7,295 that can be used for private school tuition and fees, tutoring, online learning programs and other personalized educational services.
The 2026 budget, championed by Gov. Lee, Commissioner Reynolds, Sen. Jack Johnson and Rep. William Lamberth, increased available scholarships from 20,000 to 35,000 and appropriated more than $112.9 million to support the expansion. Also included in the budget was a historic $62 million in funding for charter school facilities, the largest single-year investment in Tennessee history. This includes $40 million in one-time funding and $22 million that is part of the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) funding formula.
Lawmakers also passed additional charter school policy improvements through Sen. Bo Watson and Rep. William Slater’s HB 2177. The law creates a new “high-performing public charter school” designation, protects funding continuity and provides schools with additional flexibility in enrollment preferences.
Together, these investments are expected to impact more than 59,000 students statewide, including 44,000 public charter school students and 15,000 new education freedom scholarship participants.
Sen. Watson and Rep. Ryan Williams’ HB 2121, the Better Spending, Better Schools Act, requires school districts to submit financial reports to the Tennessee Department of Education and will improve transparency around how education dollars are spent. Ultimately, this law will help parents, policymakers and constituents better understand district-level financial decisions.
Tennessee’s 2026 legislative session reinforced the state’s long-term strategy of expanding educational opportunity while strengthening academic quality and transparency. From advanced math access to expanded school choice options, policymakers continued to prioritize policies designed to help more students access educational options aligned to their individual needs and future goals.
As we look ahead to 2027, we expect to see lawmakers engaged in broader conversations around open enrollment, K-12 and postsecondary return on investment analyses and per-pupil funding for charter school students. These policies and more will continue shaping Tennessee’s education agenda for years to come.
