For the past several months, public conversation has focused on “Amendment 2,” a proposed change to the state constitution that is set to appear on Kentucky ballots next week. 

As it stands currently, the state constitution guarantees all Kentucky children the right to an adequate and equitable education and ensures tax dollars are devoted to public schools. But according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy’s analysis, Amendment 2 stands to change that.

The 2024 report states that the funding of private school vouchers would further harm inadequate public school funding, will take resources from rural schools in particular, and exacerbate cuts in funding that have caused significant challenges, including a growing teacher shortage. KCEP also offers a page outlining how each Kentucky school district would be impacted.

Driven by the idea that young people themselves have the most to gain or lose by whatever Kentucky voters decide on the issue, Students Sound Off on Amendment 2 is an opinion package written, reported, and curated by KSVT’s student-led team of The New Edu.

The opinions expressed in this package represent the views of individuals. No students were assigned angles; they self-selected both in terms of participation in this project and what they wrote about. In their own words, Students Sound Off on Amendment 2 is intended to highlight student perspectives on how Amendment 2 stands to impact them as voters head to the polls. 

Below, the student leaders and editors of The New Edu, Isabella Edghill and Luisa Sanchez, sound off  in their own words.

An Open Letter to Kentucky Voters: Amendment 2 Will Hurt Students Like Me

By Isabella Edghill

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. If passed on ballots during the General Election in November, Amendment 2 will alter seven sections of the state constitution. 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.

I am the proud product of 12 plus years of public education. I have attended the best school in the state as well as underfunded Title 1 schools. 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. On the other hand, it is no secret that many public schools are massively underfunded, a problem that will only be exacerbated under Amendment 2. 

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. Students will be less prepared to enter the workforce and Kentucky will fall further and further down in national rankings.  

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. On behalf of all of us students who cannot yet vote, vote for us. 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. Vote for the over 600,000 Kentucky students enrolled in public schools on Nov. 5.

My American Dream Exists Because of Public Education

By Luisa Sanchez

My parents believed in the American Dream since before I was born. After 11 years of anticipation and paperwork, that dream became a reality. It was one built on America’s education system. And even when words fall short while attempting to describe my journey as a Colombian immigrant, I know the most invaluable opportunity that this country has given me is access to its public education system. Through these academic settings, I’ve been equipped with the necessary skills, tools, and mindset to become a citizen empowered to make impactful contributions in my community. 

Standing at the core of American democracy, education is a means of social mobility and cultural integration that is the reason why many families and people immigrate here, like in my case. A 2023 survey conducted by KFF in partnership with the Los Angeles Times found that most immigrants say they came to the U.S. for more opportunities for themselves and their children, including better work and education opportunities. 

Within the U.S.’s public education system, I was dependent on English Language Learning programs to academically perform at the level of my peers during elementary school. In contrast, private schools are not required to offer programs or services to support English learners. Reporting by The Washington Post found that two-thirds of private schools in the D.C. voucher program “don’t serve students learning English as a second language." In Kentucky, from 2022-2023, the Kentucky Department of Education reported student counts of 9,581 immigrant students and 44,309 English learners. Knowing that public schools where thousands of EL students are served could be defunded by voucher programs that can refuse to support them is beyond alarming. 

In the U.S., vouchers were first created as a tool to maintain segregation, following the Supreme Court banning school segregation with Brown v. Board of Education. Vouchers continue to deepen disparities and inequities in education. Widespread voucher programs risk exacerbating segregation in schools and leaving the most vulnerable students, including English learners and the public schools they attend, behind. 

As a student of color attending a predominantly white school and being the only Hispanic person in all of my classes throughout my high school journey, I’ve been faced firsthand with the challenges that result from a lack of diversity in classroom spaces. Learning about diverse cultures from people firsthand is something academics can’t teach but experiences that can further enrich our school environments. 

Championing diversity reminds us of what public schools should be—a place where all students, regardless of race or background, can thrive. Amendment Two could take resources away from public schools, fail English learners, and harm students of color. I would not have had the means to become a well-rounded student with the abilities to write this piece or tell my stories and those of other young people without English learning programs in public education. We should strive to continue supporting public schools in Kentucky and our nation. They’re beacons of hope in my life and those of other students.