A contentious bill giving Tennessee public school districts the option to unenroll or refuse enrollment of a student if it cannot be proven that the student is in the state and country lawfully passed in the House Government Operations Committee by an incredibly close vote on Monday.
House Bill 793 (HB0793), sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44), “authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States.”
This legislation would give school districts in Tennessee the option to require students to provide proof of citizenship and require that illegal students pay tuition at a rate consistent with the out-of-county charge for that district.
Families who might want to challenge the determination that their child is illegal could participate in an appeals process that would go up to the state Department of Education.
