November 5 will be a pivotal moment in Kentucky’s history for future generations of students. Alongside the presidential election, Amendment 2 – a constitutional change that allows for Kentucky’s General Assembly to reallocate public funds to private schools – will be on the ballot for voters to decide the fate of the Commonwealth’s K-12 education.
This amendment, according to proponents, would usher in a renaissance of “school choice” and “pro-family education opportunities.” Yet its implementation will pave the way for legislation that goes against both principles. The impact of Amendment 2 won’t just concern public school students like myself. It is a direct attack on all families and students in Kentucky.
For over a century, Kentucky public schools have provided the necessary education for thousands of youth, a torch that our public schools still carry today with over 600,000 students in their care. From early on, too, Kentucky public schools have acted beyond the realm of academics and served as cornerstones of their communities. We can see this broader value of public schools most keenly in times of crisis.
In 2022, Eastern Kentucky was ravaged by floods, leading to the declaration of federal disaster areas in 13 counties. Nine thousand housing units, 22% of occupied housing, were destroyed. Wolfe County School District stepped in as they provided shelter and food for adults at their high school, care for nursing home residents at the middle school, and a haven for families and pets at an elementary school. During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, our district, Owensboro Public Schools, proceeded to offer free meals to students and families. Similar meal strategies and programs were widespread throughout public schools in the Commonwealth.
Amendment 2 would threaten the bedrock institutions of our communities. By allowing the allocation of public funds to private schools, we are not just simply removing the funds used to educate 90% of Kentucky students, we are impeding access to support provided daily and in times of crisis by public schools. This isn’t just an issue for low-income families but also for individuals with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELL), foster care students, and numerous others. Unlike public institutions, however, private schools are not bound by state regulations to ensure services for the equity of all students. In a Commonwealth where Amendment 2 is implemented, we are not simply draining funding from public schools to accommodate all Kentucky students, we are directly funding institutions without regulations or accountability measures with taxpayer dollars. There is little choice at all for Kentucky families without a proper safety net.
Amendment 2 is inherently not a “School Choice Amendment.” In fact, Kentucky’s constitution already has clauses declaring school choice as a legal right for all parents within the Commonwealth. According to the Kentucky Department of Education, “The Kentucky constitution establishes the prerogatives of the parents to choose the formal education for the child. Therefore, parents may choose to have their child educated in a non-public school of their choice.” In this way, Amendment 2 presents an illusion of choice that is not really there. Not addressed in the amendment is the fact that many families do not have access to private schools due to distance or unaffordable tuition costs that a voucher cannot come close to covering.
As a student board member of the Owensboro Independent School Board, I have seen the work our teachers and district leaders put into ensuring quality education and resources for our students and communities. A vote AGAINST Amendment 2 will allow for them and so many others with a stake in our public schools to do what they do best for all of Kentucky’s young people. And no matter if they have a child in a public school themselves, every single Kentuckian stands to benefit.
Header image: Taken on October 13th, 2024 by Eva Alcaraz-Monje
This op-ed was originally published in the Owensboro Times.
