Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is adamantly opposed to the measure, known as Amendment 2, claiming it is a “money grab” that would give lawmakers free rein to send tax money to unaccountable private schools. It's a matter of basic math — such a reallocation would lead to less funding for public schools, he said.
Beshear says he's also concerned teachers would not get salary increases.
The pro-school choice side is getting help from the state's high profile Senator Rand Paul.
The goal, he says, is to bolster parental choice and increase competition for students and teachers, which would benefit public and private schools alike.
“Competition makes us all better,” Paul said during a recent stop in western Kentucky.
In his pitch for the measure, Paul pointed to statewide test scores showing fewer than half of Kentucky's public school students scoring “proficient” or “distinguished” in math and reading. Expanding school choice options would allow more low-income parents to send their children to private or charter schools that best fit their needs, he said.
Ultimately, it offers a chance to help end generational poverty, the senator said.
“Public schools can and do great things," Paul said. "But for some of the kids who, generation after generation, we’re losing to poverty and crime, we’ve got to try something that’s a little bit different.”
The Kentucky amendment is one of three school choice measures going before voters in November. A Colorado measure would create a constitutional right to school choice for K-12 students. In Nebraska, voters will decide whether to repeal a new state law that funds private school tuition with state dollars.
