Amendment Two, which is on the ballot for the November 5th election, will foundationally change school systems in Kentucky if passed. The amendment reads “The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools. The General Assembly may exercise this authority by law, Sections 59, 60, 171, 183, 184, 186, and 189 of this Constitution notwithstanding,” which may not sound significant until broken down. This amendment would mean that Kentucky legislators could change the Kentucky constitution to allow for public tax dollars to be used for private school tuition. While the language of this statute does not automatically mean that a school voucher system will be instated, it does mean that this ambition would be in reach for the Kentucky legislature. Seeing as the original proposal of this amendment stems from an attempt to use public funds for private schools, this is the likely goal of the amendment.
This leads to the focus of this editorial: the condition under which you are educated is the condition in which you will stay, unless acted upon by an outside force.
Those who argue for the implementation of a school voucher system in states like Kentucky often argue that vouchers broaden student’s horizons and allow more students to attend private schools. While it is true that school vouchers allow upper-middle-class and upper-class students to attend private schools at a higher rate, this is not true of students from low-income or rural communities. Thus, school vouchers do broaden horizons, but only for those who are already financially stable. No true choice exists for the majority of people who reside in the state. When looking at a state like Tennessee who recently implemented their Education Savings account program in 2022 after numerous legal battles, there are a few things that can be noted. First, seventy percent of students who use school vouchers for private school already attended private school, meaning that affordability was not an issue before the implementation of the voucher system. Second, the average price of private school tuition in Tennessee is around twelve thousand dollars a year and the average school voucher is around eight thousand dollars a year. Meaning that families are expected to pay the remaining difference, which is not a financially viable option for low-income households. Tuition rates for private schools in Kentucky are relatively similar and the financial gap between this tuition and the amount covered in school vouchers would most likely be the same.
For this demographic, there is no choice. Instead, these families must continue to send their children to public schools where funds have been diverted to private schools. This diversion can lead to larger classes, less resources, and a lower quality of education. For students in rural communities, private school is often not an option because of longer traveling distances. These parents still have no choice in where to realistically send their kids, except now their children are receiving less educational resources simply because they cannot travel. The implementation of voucher programs can also lead to segregation in schooling systems as private schools can turn students away from attendance to their institutions. People of color are also historically poorer than white people because of the history of oppression and inequity between these communities and that of white families.
If students in low-income communities and households continue to receive lower quality education, then there is no opportunity for advancement or higher-level thinking. Public schools provide educational opportunities that are vital for families who cannot afford private school, and further diverting funds from this demographic will only further constrain their social progress.
Kentuckians should evaluate the potential consequences that a school voucher program could have on public schools across the state, and what these consequences mean for the condition under which their children are educated.
Wed, October 30, 2024
Commentary
The Berea Torch
By Sydney McCarter
Amendment Two, which is on the ballot for the November 5th election, will foundationally change school systems in Kentucky if passed. The amendment reads “The General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools. The General Assembly may exercise this authority by law, Sections 59, 60, 171, 183, 184, 186, and 189 of this Constitution notwithstanding,” which may not sound significant until broken down. This amendment would mean that Kentucky legislators could change the Kentucky constitution to allow for public tax dollars to be used for private school tuition. While the language of this statute does not automatically mean that a school voucher system will be instated, it does mean that this ambition would be in reach for the Kentucky legislature. Seeing as the original proposal of this amendment stems from an attempt to use public funds for private schools, this is the likely goal of the amendment.
This leads to the focus of this editorial: the condition under which you are educated is the condition in which you will stay, unless acted upon by an outside force.
Those who argue for the implementation of a school voucher system in states like Kentucky often argue that vouchers broaden student’s horizons and allow more students to attend private schools. While it is true that school vouchers allow upper-middle-class and upper-class students to attend private schools at a higher rate, this is not true of students from low-income or rural communities. Thus, school vouchers do broaden horizons, but only for those who are already financially stable. No true choice exists for the majority of people who reside in the state. When looking at a state like Tennessee who recently implemented their Education Savings account program in 2022 after numerous legal battles, there are a few things that can be noted. First, seventy percent of students who use school vouchers for private school already attended private school, meaning that affordability was not an issue before the implementation of the voucher system. Second, the average price of private school tuition in Tennessee is around twelve thousand dollars a year and the average school voucher is around eight thousand dollars a year. Meaning that families are expected to pay the remaining difference, which is not a financially viable option for low-income households. Tuition rates for private schools in Kentucky are relatively similar and the financial gap between this tuition and the amount covered in school vouchers would most likely be the same.
For this demographic, there is no choice. Instead, these families must continue to send their children to public schools where funds have been diverted to private schools. This diversion can lead to larger classes, less resources, and a lower quality of education. For students in rural communities, private school is often not an option because of longer traveling distances. These parents still have no choice in where to realistically send their kids, except now their children are receiving less educational resources simply because they cannot travel. The implementation of voucher programs can also lead to segregation in schooling systems as private schools can turn students away from attendance to their institutions. People of color are also historically poorer than white people because of the history of oppression and inequity between these communities and that of white families.
If students in low-income communities and households continue to receive lower quality education, then there is no opportunity for advancement or higher-level thinking. Public schools provide educational opportunities that are vital for families who cannot afford private school, and further diverting funds from this demographic will only further constrain their social progress.
Kentuckians should evaluate the potential consequences that a school voucher program could have on public schools across the state, and what these consequences mean for the condition under which their children are educated.
Republished from Berea Torch.
https://bereatorch.com/2024/10/28/op-ed-vote-no-on-amendment-two/
The Berea Torch
Recommended Posts
Herald Leader barfs all over itself for East Egg’s park tax
Wed, October 30, 2024
Becoming L-FUC
Sun, October 27, 2024
MALGA Repeating Rupp mistakes in planning Town Branch Commons (Danny’s Version)
Fri, October 18, 2024