LOUISVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman and Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Colmon Elridge expressed concerns over the cost associated with Amendment 2 during a press conference in Louisville on Monday.
"If Amendment 2 were enacted, if a voucher plan were enacted here as is in Florida, it would cost taxpayers $1.2 billion - that is with a B - $1.2 billion annually," said Elridge. "And even if it were a smaller program, the cost is still around $99 million annually."
Amendment 2 is a measure that affects school funding. If passed, the state constitution would be changed to include this text: "The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools.”
Currently, taxpayer dollars can only go to "common" schools, which are public schools. But the proposed change would allow state lawmakers to allocate public funds to private schools, if they choose to do so.
Coleman believes that change should not happen.
"If you think about it this way - we’re funding public schools not enough, but funding them - and you’re going to take 70% of the kids who are already in private school and fund that education as well," said Coleman. "We simply don’t have the resources to fund two separate systems of education."
"But, also, we shouldn't be because public dollars should stay in public schools," she added.
Protect Our Schools Kentucky, a group working to "protect Kentucky’s public schools and defeat Amendment 2," believes the measure would divert critical funds away from public schools.
"Simply put, vouchers divert critical resources away from our public schools, where we are committed to educating every child," said Jessica Hiler, a teacher and Fayette County Education Association said during a Protect Our Schools Kentucky press conference in June. "Funding private schools with public dollars will put a strain on our already underfunded public schools, and negatively affect our students. Period. In recent years our public schools have been under attack, and Amendment 2 - the voucher amendment - is just another example of an attempt to undermine public education.”
However, not everyone opposes school choice.
EdChoice Kentucky is a group working to bring school choice to Kentucky. The group's website lists its goal as "helping Kentucky students."
"The same education doesn't work for every child - learning styles and abilities are as unique as each child," the website goes on to say. "Kentucky students deserve a choice in their education. Education Choice is a common-sense solution."
The group supports Amendment 2 because it believes using taxpayer funds on private and charter schools would provide Kentucky families with options.
"EdChoice Kentucky is committed to ALL Kentucky students having access to the best educational opportunities," the group's spokesperson said in a statement. "Parents know what would meet the educational needs of their child and they should have the access to make that choice."
