Tennessee expanded its voucher program to families of all income levels this year and has been met with mixed reactions. Some praise them in the name of school choice, while others say they undermine public education.

The division is extreme. On one end, some families are suing the state over how the program allows the use of taxpayer funds to go toward the costs of private school.

On the other — like at the all-girls BE Academy in Nashville — the school’s founder says her school tailored to serving Black students wouldn’t exist without vouchers.

BE Academy’s founder, Tee Wilson, tells WPLN News that her own experience at a New Orleans private school shaped her vision.

“I was one of the few girls of color there. And I didn’t always feel accepted for being who I am,” she said. “And I re

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