As a proud public school graduate — and an even prouder public school teacher — I have seen firsthand the vital role that public schools play in our communities.
Public schools strive to provide quality education and support services to all students and their families. At Ludlow Independent Schools, where I’ve taught for twenty three years, we aim to serve the whole child.
We provide universal preschool and wraparound childcare for preschool students from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every school day. We offer our SHINE and SOAR programs, which provide before and after-school enrichment and homework help for our elementary and middle school students — all at no cost to families.
At the high school level, we encourage students to participate in off campus programs, such as dual credit college courses and a carpentry program offered at Enzweiler Building Institute. These programs are provided to students at no cost to the families — tuition, books, and all material expenses are covered.
District wide, we offer free breakfast, lunch, and after school snacks to all students — in addition to a food pantry that is open to families by appointment. Our schools help provide mental health counseling to our students and host numerous family events throughout the year.
I can confidently say that our school system plays a vital role, not just in our students’ lives, but in the community as a whole. The same can be said for countless public school systems across our state.
In order to make these things happen for our students, families, and communities, public schools depend on state funding. This November, that funding will be in jeopardy. Past attempts to use public funds for school vouchers have been stopped because they are unconstitutional. However, Amendment 2 seeks to change our state constitution to allow for public spending to be used for private schools.
Because the wording of amendments is often confusing, it is important that voters are informed as they prepare to vote. Amendment 2 states, “The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common (public) schools. The General Assembly may exercise this authority by law, Sections 59, 60, 171, 183, 184, 186, and 189 of this Constitution notwithstanding.”
A yes vote would mean that a voter thinks the constitution should be changed to include the above language, which would pave the way for the legislature to send public dollars to unaccountable private schools. This would allow public funds to be used in support of private schools that have no oversight on curriculum, student assessment, or student and educator anti-discrimination practices.
Amendment 2 would allow public money to be used for vouchers for parents to send their kids to private schools, but it is important to remember that these private schools don’t have to accept all students and they don’t have to provide disability services. If Amendment 2 passes, public dollars would be taken away from the public schools that teach and provide services to all students and serve as crucial support systems in our communities.
By voting NO on Amendment 2, we can ensure that public funding is used to support our public school students. A NO vote would mean that a voter doesn’t want to change the constitution to include the new language. A NO vote protects public education by ensuring that public dollars must go to public schools. A NO vote helps to protect SEEK funding, which is critical to all students regardless of zip code.
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy released a report that calculated how Kentucky districts could be impacted if Amendment 2 passes. Regardless of size and income level, school districts across Northern Kentucky could be drastically affected.
Ludlow Independent Schools could lose $1,664,208 in funding. Bellevue Independent Schools could lose $943,407. Beechwood Independent could lose $2,654,045. Fort Thomas Independent Schools could lose $5,457,842. The Kenton County school district could lose $20,558,332 and Boone County Schools could lose $25,278,500.
Just imagine the drastic impact that such losses would have on any public school district’s ability to provide quality education and support services to its students and families.
I have often seen Amendment 2 presented as an “educational freedom” issue. One flier circulating — which is being distributed by Americans For Prosperity — falsely claims that a yes vote would “protect public school funding” and “help low-income and disabled students.” These statements are simply not true and are a blatant attempt to mislead voters.
A yes vote would severely damage public schools and would undermine the education that is accessible to low income students and those with disabilities. Americans for Prosperity also state that the amendment “gives parents more choice in their child’s education.”
Parents already have the freedom to choose whether to send their students to a private school; the issue at hand with this amendment is whether or not public dollars should be used in those schools. The narrative that school vouchers would help parents who want to take their children out of struggling public schools to send them to private schools is misleading.
An article published in Education Week explained that data from states that have already “expanded their school choice offerings” show that “a majority of students participating in these programs were already enrolled in private schools or were homeschool students prior to signing up for the newly expanded, public funded education subsidy.”
According to this data, the vouchers are largely used to compensate parents who have already enrolled their students in private schools. A report released by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy shares similar findings: “The recent experience of other states shows that 65%-90% of voucher costs go to subsidize families already sending their children to private schools or planning to do so — a group whose average household income in Kentucky is 54% higher than public school families. Providing vouchers to that group will easily cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars based on the number of Kentucky students already in private school.”
Clearly, the stakes are very high in this November election. If Amendment 2 passes, there will be no constitutional defense to stop unaccountable private and charter schools from using public funds.
Your public school system needs your support. Please vote NO on Amendment 2 and help protect our public schools — and, most importantly, our public school students.
Kristy Collins lives in Ludlow where she has taught high school English for twenty three years.
The post Opinion – Kristy Collins: A ‘NO’ vote on Amendment 2 protects public schools; facts voters need to know appeared first on NKyTribune .
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