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Kentucky school choice amendment sparks heated debate ahead of November ballot [1]
['Krystal Goodner']
Date: 2024-10
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Public dollars for private schools are at the center of a heated debate across Kentucky as voters prepare to decide on the School Choice Amendment 2 in November.
The amendment, which would allow public funds to be used for private and charter schools, has drawn strong opposition from educators and public school advocates.
Maddie Shephard, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, expressed concern over the potential impact of the amendment.
"This amendment, which would allow public dollars to be spent on private schools, would devastate our public schools if this is passed," she said.
Stacey Fugate, a local educator, added that the amendment would negatively affect students and rural communities across Kentucky, particularly in Appalachia.
On Tuesday, members of the Protect Our Schools Coalition held a news conference to voice their opposition to the school choice voucher, also known as Amendment 2.
Felicia Nu'man, director of Justice and Policy Initiatives at the Urban League, emphasized the importance of public schools in the African American community.
"We are against Amendment 2 because public schools have been the bedrock of the African American community," she said.
Nu'man further argued that if the amendment is approved, it would fail children by creating a system where some students are set up to succeed while others are left behind.
"If we start to choose who is going to succeed and who is going to lose, we're all going to lose," she said.
Supporters of Amendment 2, including Jim Waters, president of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, argue that the current public education system is not serving students well.
"Both the state and national assessments indicate that we're failing to do a good job of educating over half of our students in public schools," Waters said.
Waters believes that giving parents the choice to send their children to private or charter schools is essential for improving education in Kentucky.
"So if this is about educating our students and preparing them for the future, choices are needed," he said.
Kentucky courts have ruled that public tax dollars should be used only for public schools and not for charter or private schools. However, supporters of school choice are hoping to overcome these legal hurdles by getting the amendment approved on the fall ballot.
The outcome of the vote could have significant implications for the future of education funding and policy in Kentucky.
With no election for statewide office on Kentucky’s ballot this November, school choice looms as the most hotly debated state issue during the fall campaign.
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