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SB0827 • 2026

Schools, Private

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to nonpublic schools.

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Hensley, Haston
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025, 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how this exemption will affect student performance or educational standards in these online private schools.

Private Online Schools Exemption

This act allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific state requirements for class size, school calendar, vaccinations, and standardized testing.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced program and are regionally accredited by an approved agency to not follow the state's rules on class sizes.
  • Permits these private schools to operate without adhering to the state’s school calendar requirements for instructional days and hours.
  • Exempts these private schools from requiring students to be vaccinated against diseases listed by the commissioner of health before attending school.
  • Removes the requirement that these private schools give standardized tests in English language arts and math each year to students in grades 3-11.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Private schools offering fully online, self-paced educational programs.
  • Students enrolled in those specific private schools.

Terms To Know

Category III regional accrediting agencies
These are organizations that review and approve the quality of education provided by schools based on certain standards.
Fully online, self-paced educational program
A type of schooling where students learn through internet-based courses at their own speed without regular classroom attendance.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to private schools that meet specific criteria and does not affect other types of private or public schools.
  • It is unclear how the exemption will impact student performance or educational standards in these online private schools.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1003

Plain English: This amendment allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific public school requirements like class size limits, instructional days/hours, and vaccination mandates.

  • Private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced program and meet accreditation criteria can be exempt from state-mandated class sizes.
  • These schools are also not required to follow the minimum number of instructional days or hours per school day as public schools do.
  • Additionally, these private schools don't need to comply with vaccination requirements for their students.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how this exemption will be implemented or enforced.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0827

Plain English: This amendment allows certain fully online private schools in Tennessee to operate without following specific public school requirements like class size limits, instructional days/hours, and vaccination mandates.

  • Private schools that offer a fully online, self-paced education program and meet accreditation criteria can be exempt from state-mandated class sizes, instructional schedules, and student vaccination requirements if they are approved as Category III nonpublic schools.
  • The amendment specifies that these private schools must be accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission and regionally accredited by one of the designated Category III regional accrediting agencies.
  • The exact impact on public health and educational standards due to this exemption is not specified in the amendment text.
  • Details about how the state board will approve these schools as Category III nonpublic schools are not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025, 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 380

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 380

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 75, Nays 14, PNV 2

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0308)

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  16. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Calendar & Rules Committee to 4/17/2025

  17. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  18. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025

  20. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  22. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 5

  25. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0131)

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  27. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/20/2025

  28. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  31. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/18/2025

  32. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  34. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c K-12 Subcommittee to 3/11/2025

  35. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  37. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes the following requirements for schools:

(1) Class sizes are limited on a scale of averages and minimums w
ith the lowest being for kindergarten-3 and career and technical education at an average of 20 and a maximum of 25 students and the highest being for grades seven-12 at an average of 30 and a maximum of 35 students;

(2) There must be 180 days for classro
om instruction with 6.5 hours instructional time per such day;

(3) The commissioner of health is authorized to designate diseases against which children must be immunized prior to attendance at any school of this state; and

(4) Students in grades three
-11 must be annually administered a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math.

This bill specifies that the state board of education is prohibited from requiring compliance with (1)
–
(4) for a private
school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program and that is regionally accredited by one of the Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the state board's policies.

ON MARCH 20, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AN
D PASSED SENATE BILL 827, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Requires the fully online, self-paced education program offered by a private school to also be
accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission
.



Removes the provision prohibiting the state from requiring a private school described in the bill to a
dminister, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math to each student enrolled in the school in any of the grades 3-11.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1003
By Haston

SENATE BILL 827
By Hensley

SB0827
002787
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to nonpublic schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 8, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
In order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school, the
state board of education shall not require a private school that provides a fully online,
self-paced educational program and that is regionally accredited by one (1) of the
Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the policies of the state board to:
(1) Comply with the class size requirements in § 49-1-104;
(2) Maintain an operating schedule that includes the minimum number of
instructional days or minimum number of instructional hours per school day
required of public schools in chapter 6, part 30 of this title;
(3) Comply with the requirements in § 49-6-5001 that each student
enrolled in the school be vaccinated against disease; or
(4) Administer, at least once each school year, a nationally standardized
achievement test covering the areas of English language arts and math to each
student enrolled in the school in any of the grades three through eleven (3-11).
SECTION 2. For purposes of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025, the
public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each school year
thereafter.