Kentucky’s public school system is responsible for the education of 90% of the state’s students and is one of the state’s leading employers, providing almost 99,000 jobs for the commonwealth. Kentucky’s constitution guarantees special protections for this important institution, special protections certain lawmakers are trying to revoke with Amendment 2.
If passed during the General Election in November, seven sections of the state constitution will be altered. Lawmakers will then be allowed to allocate public dollars to private schools, taking away money and resources from the public school system. Such a change cannot be taken lightly. Voters this November must consider the students, employees and communities that depend on our public schools.
On behalf of all of us students who cannot yet vote, vote for us. Vote for the over 600,000 Kentucky students enrolled in public schools. Vote for the roughly 365,000 children who rely on the free meals their school provides them and the over 43,000 teachers who dedicate their lives to educating Kentucky’s youth. Vote for the more than 90,000 special needs students and 34,000 English language learners who receive vital support in our state’s public schools.
Under Amendment 2, the state would be able to create a voucher program, in which public dollars could be allocated to private education. In states like Florida and Arizona, with robust voucher programs, over 70% of the students using these vouchers already attended their private school. Voucher’s don’t improve access to education for underprivileged students. They defund the system designed to protect them.
Public schools are required by law to take in each student who comes to their door regardless of their resources. They are the safety net for so many Kentucky families. Over nearly the past two centuries, Kentucky’s public schools have developed the infrastructure necessary to meet the vast needs of students. Without a properly funded safety net, students will fall through the cracks. They will be left further and further behind.
Each year Kentucky’s General Assembly passes dozens of education related bills, everything from dictating what books schools are allowed to use to how schools should address school safety. Public schools are required to follow this legislation and other state mandated requirements in curriculum and accessibility set by the Department of Education. Private schools, that would revive taxpayer dollars under Amendment 2, do not have the same level of accountability.
I am the proud product of 12 plus years of public education. I have attended the best school in the state as well as Title 1 schools, with high populations of socio-economically disadvantaged students. Both are evidence that support for public education is vital. Some of Kentucky’s best schools, consistently ranking high on national averages, are public schools. They are indicators that public schools can be excellent if given the support and resources they need. Amendment 2 will not provide these resources. Instead it will exacerbate problems our already underfunded schools are facing.
Regardless of what the politicians in Frankfort claim their goal regarding Amendment 2 is, the amendment will result in reduced funding for our public schools. No matter how you twist it, defunding public education helps no one. Without state funding, special programs and opportunities that enhance student learning would be forced to close. State funding supports arts programs, magnets and pathways as well as technology and equipment. Without a properly funded safety net, students will fall through the cracks. They will be left further and further behind. Students will be less prepared to enter the workforce and Kentucky will fall further and further down in national rankings.
Without the opportunity to study in the Journalism and Communications magnet here at Manual, I would never have found my passion for writing. However, if Amendment 2 passes in November, our district and our school will be forced to make sacrifices to save money. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy predicts a school voucher program under Amendment 2 could reduce the state education budget by up to $1.19 billion, the cost of employing 9,869 public school personnel. Teachers will be laid off and electives will be the first to go. These classes that subsidize core requirements are foundational to students’ current success and future achievement.
Public education is the cornerstone of our communities. Our public schools provide students with meals, clothes, a caring hand and a key to their futures. Every student in our Commonwealth has a right to a quality education and their lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that right. Voters now have the power to protect our public education for generations of future Kentuckians. Whether or not they do is up to you. Vote No on Kentucky’s Amendment 2.
