As Kentuckians, we take pride in our communities and the institutions that support them. At the heart of every thriving Kentucky town is a strong public school system. But this November, we face a critical decision — and making the wrong choice could undermine the very foundation of our educational system. Amendment 2 on the ballot proposes to change our state constitution to allow taxpayers’ money to fund vouchers for private education outside the public school system, with no oversight or accountability for those private schools.
Who stands to benefit? Amendment 2’s supporters say vouchers help move kids into “better” private options. But data from states that already have gambled on school voucher programs show that 75% or more of the students receiving these publicly funded vouchers already were in private schools. The average income for a Kentucky family with kids in private school is $148,000. Do these families really need taxpayer money to subsidize their choice? And do taxpayers want to fund an educational curriculum they can’t assess?