They're hoping this bill passes quietly. We're making sure it doesn't.
What is SB0836?
In April 2025, Tennessee’s Senate passed SB0836, a bill that, along with its counterpart HB0793, aims to allow public schools to deny enrollment or charge tuition to students unable to prove U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status. This legislation directly challenges the 1982 Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe, which guarantees all children, regardless of immigration status, access to free public education.
If enacted, SB0836 would set a dangerous precedent, enabling the exclusion of undocumented children from public schools and undermining the principle of equal protection under the law. The bill has stalled in the House due to concerns over potential violations of federal civil rights laws, specifically Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Such violations could jeopardize approximately $1.1 billion in federal education funding that Tennessee receives annually.
Despite the pause, proponents like Senator Bo Watson are committed to passing the legislation next session.
At Pedals for Pencils, we firmly believe that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege contingent upon immigration status. We oppose SB0836 and HB0793 because they threaten the inclusivity and accessibility of our public education system. Our mission is to raise awareness about these bills’ implications and to support all students’ rights to learn and thrive.
If politicians can quietly exclude children from schools, they'll dismantle the public education system piece by piece.
They're counting on our silence. We're not giving it to them.
Why We're Speaking Up
We created Pedals for Pencils because legislation like SB0836 can’t pass quietly. If politicians learn they can exclude kids from public schools without public backlash, they’ll keep going—cutting funding, limiting access, and dismantling public education piece by piece. And they won’t stop.
This isn’t just a Tennessee problem. Similar bills have been proposed in Texas, Indianna, New Jersey, and Oklahoma. These attacks on immigrant students and public schools are spreading, and too often, no one hears about them until it’s too late.
Grace’s friends up north haven’t heard of SB0836. Some teachers at Kate’s school haven’t either. That silence? That’s by design. That’s what they’re counting on.
But we’re not going to let that happen. We’re making noise. We’re putting in the miles. And we’re not backing down.
Learn More
SB0836: What You Need to Know
Senate Bill 0836 (SB0836) and House Bill 0793 are part of a growing effort to quietly chip away at public education, starting with the students least able to fight back. SB0836 would allow Tennessee school districts to deny enrollment or charge tuition to students who can’t prove their immigration status. HB0793 takes it further, requiring schools to collect and report that information. Both bills directly challenge the 1982 Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court ruling, which protects every child’s right to a free public education regardless of immigration status. Make no mistake: this isn’t about paperwork. It’s about power. It’s about sending a message to immigrant families that they aren’t welcome here. And it’s about seeing who stays silent when that message is sent. These bills have been temporarily paused, not because lawmakers changed their minds, but because they threaten $1.6 billion in federal funding that Tennessee can’t afford to lose. Still, their sponsors have made it clear: they’re bringing them back next session. If we don’t keep up the pressure, these bills will pass. And when they do, they’ll set a precedent that other states can follow.
Undocumented Families Tax Contributions
Undocumented Immigrants pay a higher effective tax rate than most billionaires.
Let’s talk facts: Undocumented families are not “draining” public education. They are funding it. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in U.S. taxes. That’s roughly $8,889 per person. Their effective state and local tax rate is 8.9%, higher than the richest 1% of Americans, who pay just 7.2%. Every time a migrant family buys groceries or gas, they pay sales tax. When they pay rent, they’re covering their landlord’s property tax. And many undocumented students are working jobs, sometimes overnight shifts, just to stay afloat while attending school. So let’s be honest: if we start saying public schools are only for people who directly pay property taxes, does that mean U.S. born families who rent apartments don’t deserve education either? These bills don’t help taxpayers. They don’t help schools. And they don’t help teachers. What they do is target a group of students based on where they were born. We’re not letting that happen.
Why are these bills unconstitutional?
The 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe established that denying undocumented children access to free public K-12 education violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court emphasized that:
Undocumented children are “persons” under the Constitution and are entitled to equal protection under the law.
Denying education to these children imposes a lifetime hardship and creates a subclass of individuals.
By allowing schools to deny enrollment based on immigration status, SB0836 and HB0793 directly contradict this precedent.
Impact on ALL Students
These bills don’t just affect undocumented students; they have broader implications:
Educational Disruption: Schools may face challenges in maintaining inclusive environments, leading to divisions within student communities.
Financial Strain: Implementing documentation checks and managing appeals could divert resources from educational programs. Furthermore, restricting education access from undocumented children will remove critical federal funding from states. Tennessee is at risk of losing 1.6 BILLION dollars.
Precedent Setting: Similar legislation has already been proposed in 5 other states. If successful, these bills could pave the way for further exclusions of other student demographics, undermining the principle of universal public education.
How you can take action
It’s tempting to think: “This hasn’t happened in my state, yet.” But that’s exactly how these attacks are designed to work.
Politicians are testing the waters. They’re watching how loud, or how quiet, the public response is in places like Tennessee, Texas, New Jersey, and Indiana. If no one speaks up, they’ll take that silence as a green light to move forward in other states. Quiet legislation becomes quiet precedent.
That’s why it’s critical to speak up before these bills reach your statehouse. We must send a clear message to lawmakers nationwide: Public education is off limits.
Most Americans still support their local public schools. But that support is more fragile than it seems, and extremist voices are working overtime to dismantle it. If we aren’t loud in our defense of public education, if we aren’t having conversations, telling the truth, and showing up, we risk losing it.
Education is a public good. A cornerstone of democracy. A promise we make to every child.
Let’s make it clear: we won’t stay silent while that promise is broken.
Email Your Legislators: Use our Action Network tool to send a message opposing these bills. Let them know NOW that you unwaveringly defend education for ALL.
Spread Awareness: Share this information with your community to highlight the issue.
Support Advocacy Groups: Donate to organizations working to protect immigrant rights and public education.
Join Our Campaign: Follow us on socials to stay engaged with ongoing legislation and how you can continue to support educators and students in your communities!