On the morning of Oct.  13, 2024, just over a dozen students lined up in front of a bright yellow school bus parked next to Rupp Arena in Lexington. A blue and yellow sign on the side read in bold letters, “Public Dollars for Public Schools,” while the young adults posed in front of it hoisted multicolored signs bearing slogans such as “Kick Vouchers to the Curb!” and “Honk if you Support Public Schools!”. They were dressed in casual attire, laughing and chatting among themselves, like classmates let out of a long school day. However, the reason they were together that morning was much more serious than a homework assignment. These students were a part of the Kentucky Student Voice Team, and had just arrived at the first stop on a day-long, statewide campaign against Amendment 2. 

Amendment 2 is a ballot initiative that, if passed, would give the Kentucky General Assembly the power to fund private school students’ tuitions using taxpayer dollars, most likely through voucher programs and charter schools. Introduced originally as House Bill 2 on Jan. 26, the amendment has generated heated controversy across the commonwealth, drawing statements from officials as high-ranking as Governor Andy Beshear. Proponents claim it will allow parents more choice, giving low-income individuals opportunities to access quality education. Challengers say it will only take money from already struggling public schools and provide a discount for the rich, especially affecting students in rural communities who don’t have a private school in their area. 

That  point is one of many students made as they traveled to Lexington, Frankfort, and Louisville during the “Myth Bus Tour” hosted earlier this month. At each stop, they delivered several prepared speeches, as well as providing time for audience members to make their own comments. These testimonies, often based on personal experiences in the public education system, frequently drew outbursts of applause from onlookers. 

Every young attendee had their own reasons for participating in the effort. Many were products entirely of the public school system and wanted to show lawmakers that public schools not only need more funding but deserve it. 

Luisa Sanchez, KSVT’s student cross-organizational coordinator, delivered a compelling speech at two of the stops focused on the problematic history of vouchers.

“Vouchers rose to prominence in the United States after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision mandating the desegregation of public schools,” she said. “Families that were unwilling to comply started alternate systems of education outside of already in place systems of public schools. These were private schools that could deny admission of students solely based on the color of their skin.” As Sanchez spoke, several attendees could be seen nodding their heads in agreement, or furrowing their brows in thought. “Championing diversity reminds us of what public schools should be—a place where all students, regardless of race or background, can thrive,” she said in her speech.

Milo Osborn, a senior at Lafayette High School, called out another form of discrimination Amendment 2 could enable. 

“I am one of the over 105,000 Kentucky students living with a disability,” he began. “School ‘choice’ is quite the opposite for disabled students due to private schools not being required to provide 504 or IEP services and not being held to the same anti-discrimination standards as public schools.” Osborn’s claim was backed up by Allison Slone, 2024’s Kentucky Teacher of the Year, who shared her opinion as a special education teacher during the public comments section. According to Slone, private schools without a licensed special educator can enlist the assistance of certified educators such as herself, putting further strain on special education programs in public schools. 

Several students commented on the economic impact of the amendment, most notably on the severe consequences it would have for teachers and rural schools. Peter Jefferson, KSVT’s voucher campaign coordinator and a senior at Henry Clay High School, highlighted these effects. 

“We can clearly see the financial impact of vouchers on Fayette County Public Schools. The numbers are stark: over $52 million dollars in lost funding totalling 8% of the annual budget,” he said, gesturing towards a sign displaying this information to his left. “My school was recently approved for renovation after over 60 years in our current facilities. With these budget cuts, our renovation could be delayed indefinitely.”

Georgie Farmer, a junior at Danville Independent High School, introduced the much-debated topic of teacher pay with a personal connection. 

“As someone from a family of educators and an aspiring educator myself, the impact that Amendment Two would have on the livelihoods of educators and public school employees concerns me… If Kentucky adopted a Florida-style voucher program, it would cost $1.19 billion dollars annually- that’s equivalent to 9,869 educator jobs. My district alone would lose 31 educators, which is equivalent to all the certified staff at our middle school.” 

Students who didn’t take the microphone supported proudly from the sidelines, waving and chanting out the windows and backing up their peers’ remarks with raucous applause. “ So, I've attended both public and private schools, and I think that public schools don't need to be losing any funding to private schools because they already have enough funding and public schools are drastically underfunded,” said Wren Carter, a junior at Lafayette High School, pausing to put down a sign while at the Lexington stop. 

“Because of me being an immigrant, when I first moved to the U.S. the first school I attended was a public school, which allowed me to have connections and explore and just learn more about who I am as a student,” said Daniella Chivero, a fifteen-year-old who attends Tates Creek High School in Lexington, during the drive to Frankfort. She sat near the end of the bus, taking the side of the seat closest to the window. “I chose to get involved because this is not only harming me, but it's also harming everyone, every student around me.” 

Header photo credit: Eva Alcaraz-Monje