KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knox County Schools Board of Education voted yes on a legislative priority listed on the agenda Thursday night, affirming that public schools exist to provide a free education to all children.

"In the last General Assembly, they had a bill kind of moving through that nearly passed to, I guess, allow public schools in the state of Tennessee to check citizenship," Katherine Bike, KCS board member, said. "There are many rumors and a lot of talk that it will be coming back in when they reconvene this next year, and I think a lot of people are concerned about it."

Bike is talking about the Tennessee state bill — HB 0793 — that would allow local public school districts in the state to refuse the enrollment of K-12 students who can't prove legal immigration status. It w

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