"It was not founded to be an opt-out," he said. The Tennessee House of Representatives narrowly approved on Tuesday its version of the bill with a 50-48 vote. There’s no reason that this court can’t sort out these complicated questions in due time.”A key argument in both complaints is the state constitution’s so-called “home rule” provision that prohibits the legislature from passing laws that single out individual counties unless approved by two-thirds of the members of those counties’ legislative bodies, or a majority of voters. Lee’s proposal is about strengthening school choice and empowering parents to determine the best fit for their child through programs and institutions that choose to participate in the ESA program," Lee spokeswoman Laine Arnold said Monday.Of the 57 schools surveyed, 40 are well outside the $7,300 provided for a student's education. The deadline to apply is May 7.Deputy Education Commissioner Amity Schuyler, who has overseen the program’s rollout, estimated Thursday that about 500 students will be approved this year to receive an annual average of $7,100 each in public funds to pay for private school or other private education services. They also point to a recent amendment that would allow families to obtain financial assistance from a third party.American Federation for Children State Director Shaka Mitchell said the education savings accounts open doors and provide options for thousands of low-income Tennessee families in low-performing schools. TEA extensively surveyed rural, urban and suburban voters in all three Grand Divisions of the state, with an oversample of highly-likely Republican primary voters. Both the department and the Nebraska-based company managing applications have sent multiple emails to families whose applications are incomplete and reminded them of the deadline.Meanwhile, Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin heard arguments Wednesday on a flurry of motions that include a request for a temporary injunction to keep the program from starting. Families have been unable to tour approved private schools because of shutdowns of school facilities both public and private.By law the program could grow to 15,000 students by its fifth year if maximum capacity is reached each year, but Schuyler said that the program is about choice, not size.“I’ve never gotten any directive that the program was to be about volume,” she said of the focus on starting a high-quality option for parents who want choices beyond public schools.The state’s other education savings account program for students with disabilities has also had low enrollment since starting in 2017. In February, Schuyler said she expected “a small splash” in 2020. As of late March, at least 52 private schools have been approved to accept vouchers this year. She noted that many families are applying for multiple children and that most applications have been for seats in kindergarten through third grade.While the number of applications is under capacity, the final count may eventually be on par with the first year of similar programs in other states, which typically start at 10% of the limit.To be eligible for the funds, students must be attending a Tennessee school this school year or entering kindergarten next year and be zoned for schools in Memphis or Nashville. "ESAs will greatly help independent schools serve more students, and these schools will be able to work with families to provide additional tuition assistance if needed," Mitchell said.Among the 57 schools surveyed, there are 17 Nashville private schools with tuition that could be covered entirely by the $7,300 a year that would be provided to parents.They are primarily religious schools — four are nondenominational Christian. Only 164 are participating this year out of more than 42,000 eligible students statewide.State officials are not necessarily expecting all families who start the application process to complete it.