The Knoxville County Board of Education is considering opposing a bill that would require Tennessee schools to keep track of students’ immigration status.
On Thursday, the board of education will vote on its 2026 legislative priorities, including one that asks the General Assembly to oppose “requiring school districts to collect or monitor student immigration status.”
The General Assembly is considering House Bill 0793/Senate Bill 0836, which would allow school systems to deny enrollment to students who are illegally in America and mandate schools to record their students’ immigration status. Furthermore, the bill would allow illegal immigrant children to enroll in public schools if they paid tuition.
This bill is currently sitting in the State House and will be considered during next year’s legislative session.
If Tennessee passes this bill, it will be a direct challenge to Plyler v. Doe. This 1982 Supreme Court decision said state and local governments can’t deny illegal immigrant children access to public education.
Knoxville County Board of Education said the bill proposal creates “legal risks, add[s] administrative burdens, and distract[s] 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,” the legislative priority said.
When discussing legislative priorities during Monday’s meeting, the school board originally had eight, but narrowed it to seven after combining two that addressed opposition to the bill proposal.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, community members spoke in support of the school district’s opposition to tracking students’ immigration status.
Candace Boyd, a retired school teacher, urged the school board to oppose HB 793 and other legislation that would deny children a “tuition-free education.”
While working as a teacher for 28 years, Boyd said she did not meet a school teacher or school administrator who “did not believe every child has a right to a free public education.”
“I see it as a moral imperative that public schools stay that way,” she noted.
Leslie Stark, who has a child in the school district, said if this bill proposal were to pass, it would cause “real and lasting harm to kids” in the Knoxville community.
She added that HB 793 creates fear for “families already living with uncertainty” and “children who should never have to wonder if they’re allowed to go to school.”
“When parents are scared to send their kids to school, and kids are scared to show up, learning becomes impossible,” Stark stated.
If Tennessee denies students due to their immigration status, they will be denied opportunities they will never get back, she added.
“This bill doesn’t protect anyone. It harms our kids, our classrooms, and the fabric of our community,” Stark said. “Our schools are stronger when all children are welcome and feel safe to learn.”
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
