Tennesseans Fear Vouchers Could Fund Schools Teaching Sharia Law

Tennessee voters are raising alarms over school choice — and whether taxpayer dollars could end up funding schools that teach Islamic Sharia law instead of the U.S. Constitution.

The Education Freedom Scholarship voucher program rolls out this school year, with some residents warning that expanding taxpayer-funded vouchers could eventually send money to schools they claim don’t align with traditional American values, including concerns about “Sharia law”. Critics say the issue stems from what kinds of private schools may participate and how much oversight the state requires.

The program, championed by Republican leaders and signed into law in early 2025, provides up to about $7,300 per student in taxpayer funds to families choosing private schooling, with about 20,000 vouchers available statewide. Half of those are reserved for low-income or special-needs students.

GOP Leaders Address Sharia Concerns

On KWAM News Radio, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Williamson County) said concerns that vouchers could be used to fund Muslim schools that teach Sharia law rather than American civics are unfounded.

Todd Starnes: “Will these vouchers be funding schools that are teaching Sharia law? Can there be any sort of a carve-out?”
Sen. Jack Johnson: “We do have a couple of schools that are Muslim, based on Muslim faith. We passed legislation several years ago, Todd, to say that any school in the state of Tennessee that is teaching Sharia law over American law, basic civics, that Sharia Law surpasses American law based on our Constitution, that they are ineligible for funding. So any school that is teaching that is number one will not be accredited in the state of Tennessee with or without a school choice program. And certainly if they’re not accredited, then they’re ineligible to receive those scholarships.”

Johnson emphasized that accreditation standards and constitutional requirements — not just vouchers — determine eligibility for public funding.

Tennesseans Say No to Sharia

While mainstream local news outlets don’t yet include documented voter quotes specifically linking “Sharia law” concerns to school choice, there is a significant volume of social media sentiment expressing those fears:

• In a public Facebook video post, a user claimed broadly that:
  “School Vouchers going to schools teaching Sharia law… let that sink in… your tax dollars are going to Islamic schools in TN that teach Sharia.” — public Facebook post critical of vouchers.
• In another publicly accessible Facebook community discussion, a user wrote:
  “Unfortunately, school vouchers open up taxpayer money going to Islamic schools, liberal curriculum schools, or pretty much any private…” — public Facebook post expressing fear about where voucher money could go.