Kentucky voters have an important decision on this year’s ballot – whether or not to change the state’s constitution to allow for a school voucher program. If Amendment 2 passes, the legislature would be free to establish a voucher program to allow public funds to flow to private schools.
A yes vote on Amendment 2 would divert money from public schools to unaccountable private schools.
Taxpayers do not have a say in how private schools use voucher funds, unlike with public schools where they can address their concerns to the elected members of the board of education. Private schools are not required to track data and report out to the public; if a voucher program is implemented in Kentucky, we taxpayers cannot know if it will be money well-spent.
What we do know for sure, however, is that it will reduce public school funding. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, a non-partisan research organization, estimates that if Kentucky were to institute a Florida-style voucher program, my district, Covington Independent Public Schools, would see a 12% budget reduction and would have to eliminate 55 educator positions.
The impact on public school districts in our rural counties will be even more devastating. In many rural counties, public schools are the only education option for parents.
A yes vote on Amendment 2 will divert public money from rural public districts to urban and suburban private options.
Furthermore, rural public school districts employ many residents, serve as a community hub, and offer refuge in times of crisis, as we saw during the flooding in eastern Kentucky in 2022.
As we have seen in other states that have instituted voucher programs, it is a fiscal disaster. In Arizona, for example, the voucher program is projected to cost nearly $950 million- $320 million over the budgeted amount for fiscal year 2024. On top of this, 53% of these funds are going to 8% of Arizona students! Proponents of these programs say that they will be targeted to poor families in failing districts. But inevitably, these programs are expanded to allow more and more families to receive public taxpayer dollars, regardless of income level or the performance of their local public school district.
Kentuckians across the Commonwealth- urban, suburban and rural- have a clear choice this November. Vote NO on Amendment 2. It is the right choice for our students, our communities, and our budget.
PJ Lonneman is a Covington resident and parent of a student in the Covington Independent Public Schools.
I wonder what the test scores prove when you compare private schools inside the Covington Independent Public Schools districting to those single-choice public schools?
Right now, students suffering in Covington Independent Public Schools who can’t afford to move to the successful private schools in their districts are stuck! Voting no on Amendment 2 would relegate those children to whatever failing school they are currently stuck in.
Voting YES on Amendment 2 enables those students to move to successful private schools, giving parents choices and students the ability to attend prospering private schools.
The accountability you desire already exists! Look at the test scores! Caring parents will use their tax dollars at thriving schools, not be locked into whatever school district they live in.
Hi and thanks for reading my op-ed and replying. I can assure you that my daughter is not suffering, and not relegated, at John G Carlisle. She’s reading at or above her grade level, working hard at math, exploring her creative side, learning facts about Kentucky, and making friends with other members of our ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse community. As a family, we benefit from monthly family nights and, most importantly for two working parents like my wife and me, after-school care and summer camp at no additional cost. I encourage all families in Covington to consider the great resource and educational option that is Covington Independent Public Schools. And I encourage KY voters to Vote No on Amendment 2 to safeguard and grow our public schools across our great commonwealth.
Take a look at our school and the results they yield. 2023 School report card:
The tough news is that two middle school measures showed no improvement, with statewide results showing:
An 0% increase in grade 8 reading proficiency
An 0% increase in grade 8 mathematics proficiency
Additionally, even these improvements remain far from Kentucky’s long-term goals. Only 46% of 2023 third-grade students were proficient. If we continue improving at a pace of 1% each year, it could take 56 years to get all Kentucky students to the proficient level.
we must do better. Stop the educational Caste system.