The future of our public schools and their ability to educate all children is at stake in the face of TN House Bill 793 and bills like it. While the Senate version of this bill passed last year, the House version still needs to be heard and voted on. We expect this to happen at the start of the 2026 Legislative Session.

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Where We Stand Now:

On December 4, the Knox County Board of Education passed the Free Education for All Children legislation priority, 6-3. The priority reads "The Knox County Board of Education urges the General Assembly oppose any proposals requiring school districts to collect or monitor student immigration status, as they create legal risks, add administrative burdens, and distract from teaching and learning. The Board affirms the Tennessee Constitution and Supreme Court rulings guaranteeing a free public education for ALL children in Tennessee and opposes any measure that excludes - or seeks to exclude - any child from our schools."

 

This win is the culmination of over a month of action by community members. They called and emailed board members, attended meetings, shared their stories and experiences during public forums, wrote opinion pieces published in local newspapers, and showed up in other ways to ensure that board members' votes reflected their duty to educate all the children of Knox County.​

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The Vigil and Board Meeting were covered by local press, including WBIR, WATE, the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Compass Knox.​ The Press Conference and Board Meeting Vote was covered by WVLT, WBIR, the Knoxville News Sentinel, and Compass Knox.   

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What You Can Do Now:

Check out our Statewide Education For All page for more actions you can take.