A House committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would give voters the chance to amend Kentucky’s constitution to allow the legislature to explore educational choices. Rep. Suzanne Miles, the bill’s sponsor, stressed there are no policies or funding mechanisms included in the bill — meaning it contains nothing about creating specific programs or allocating any money.
If passed, Kentucky would join 32 states and Washington D.C. in providing additional educational choices for their citizens.
Miles, the Majority Caucus Chair, first introduced the bill in January. A newer version with a House Committee Substitute passed out of a committee Tuesday afternoon with an 11-4 vote. (The full committee hearing can be watched here.)
Miles spoke on the Committee Substitute, noting there were two main items of which to be aware. The first was the question that would appear on the ballot, and the second was how the constitution would change if voters approve the amendment.
The proposed ballot language would read:
“To give parents choices in educational opportunities for their children, are you in favor of enabling the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education costs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are outside the system of common (public) schools by amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below?”
The proposed constitutional amendment would read:
“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.”
“There are many success stories coming out of our current education system, but we also know that the one-size-fits-all approach is leaving many students behind. More than half of our students can’t read at grade level and fewer than half are proficient in math,” Miles said. “We know that providing more options can foster personalized learning, accommodate diverse needs, enhance competition, empower students, and promote parental engagement. However, our hands are tied by our state’s 133-year-old constitution.”
In a March 9 interview with Owensboro Times, Miles shared similar thoughts that addressing Kentucky’s educational framework is long overdue.
“We’re not in a 1-room school anymore. We’re not where kids can physically walk to school. We have the Internet. We have transportation options,” she said. … “We’re in a totally different situation now than we were when the [state Constitution was written], so this is solely to put it on the ballot if people want us to consider when the legislators have that policy debate another time.”
If approved by Kentucky voters, the proposed amendment would allow lawmakers the authority to fund a variety of programs from magnet schools to local school districts contracting with educational nonprofits to provide extended school services. Previous attempts by lawmakers to allow state tax dollars to follow the child, rather than a school system, have been struck down by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Some committee members questioned how the funding would work and how the legislature could make sure there was no discrimination when it came to enrollment.
Public school districts locally and statewide have also expressed concerns about school choice bills, namely arguing that there would be little to no regulation and that the loss of tax dollars would be a critical hit to services they can provide.
Miles pointed out multiple times during Tuesday’s committee meeting that the amendment does not get into any specifics regarding money, policy, or implementation of any number of methods that fall under the general term of “school choice.”
She said the ballot question instead allows voters to indicate whether or not they want to have those conversations. And if they do, the legislature will then have the authority to look into various options.
“That conversation could be for another time, another place. But there’s a long path before we get to that place. This is the first step in that,” she said.
Rep. DJ Johnson is a co-sponsor of the bill. In an interview on March 9, he similarly said the “sole focus” of the amendment is to find out if Kentuckians want legislators to discuss educational options.
“It doesn’t force educational choice. It doesn’t create anything. It’s not funding anything. I would put it this way: right now, the General Assembly is banned from even discussing any educational choice issues,” he said.
Owensboro Public Schools Public Information Officer Jared Revlett said that Miles is correct in saying public schools are no longer a “one-size-fits-all” system but said districts are already providing other methods of education to students who learn in different ways.
“For example, the Owensboro Innovation Middle School and Innovation Academy provide project-based learning options to students rather than the traditional instruction many of us grew up with,” he said. “This is being done in public schools all across the state, not just here in Owensboro.”
Daviess County Public Schools Superintendent said he would reserve comment until the measure passes the full Senate.
David Kessler, Superintendent of Owensboro Catholic Schools, said their school system is grateful the legislation is on the move.
“I think that one of the most important parts of this is that this legislation just allows the people to decide on a constitutional amendment. Without that amendment, there can’t even be really a conversation about any of it. So that just allows there to be some dialogue and allows there to be some work done to decide what could be possibilities for the state of Kentucky, which we’re excited about,” he said. “We’re excited about it, and I’m glad that it’s getting some traction.”
See the current version of House Bill 2 and track its progress on the Kentucky Legislature’s website here.
