The flyers and posters all over town are informing the public about Amendment 2. Some people may think it’s for education benefits in general and have no idea what the repercussions will be if it passes. If Amendment 2 is passed, Kentuckians’ tax dollars will go to private and charter schools.  Public funding will now go to “business” schools meaning they charge tuition to attend. With election day coming up soon, I hope voters consider the number of kids and teachers it will hurt. I’m not telling you how to vote, however, I’m telling you the facts. 

The Amendment is being proposed as school choice or educational freedom; nonetheless, Hardin County Schools already offers school choice. That said, not all students can have a choice when it comes to their education. Low-income families will more than likely be turned away from these institutions. 

The main claim of Amendment 2 promotes and advertises is that it will provide vouchers for low-income students to attend private and charter schools. The average cost of private schools in Kentucky is a little over $7,000 per year. Even with a voucher, how are these families able to afford the remainder of their tuition, transportation, uniform (if any), etc.? This amendment is only giving families a financial burden that they do not need or want. 

Regular people who aren’t educators may not know the burden that private and charter schools make on families with students with special needs. My mom is a special education teacher and it’s eye-opening the amount of children she sees transferring to public schools because private schools don’t cater to their needs. To be honest, private schools probably don’t want these kids so that their test scores seem higher and that’s why people are more likely to think they are getting a better quality education. When realistically, some private schools don’t require teachers to have a degree. With all that said, Amendment 2 will not provide more resources for special education students because they are not willing to deal with the effects of having those students in their schools. 

“Private schools can and do choose not to serve students with learning or behavioral challenges, not to mention students with severe needs. While many private schools do well with the students they select, they lack the staff and resources to provide more educational opportunities and support for all students as the advertisements claim,” former Hardin County Schools superintendent, Nannete Johnston, wrote in the News Enterprise. 

People should also take into consideration public school funding. Some people argue that this amendment will increase teacher salaries, but according to the Lexington Herald the amendment will not “support public schools.” Kentucky public schools are already underfunded and if it passes, public funding will go to the private and charter schools. With that being mentioned, Thousands of employees across the state will no longer be employed. 

“Kentucky Public Schools stand to lose $1.9 billion annually…Not only will that mean cuts to necessary instructional programs, it will also result in nearly ten thousand public teaching and education support jobs being slashed statewide,” according to the Kentucky Education Association. 

When considered from the perspective of a public school student, I hope you take into consideration the effects of passing this Amendment. To the students who are eligible to vote, I hope you know what this Amendment means fully now and not what the public wants you to see. As a public school student and a future educator, if this Amendment were to be passed, it would directly impact my family and my life. I’m not telling you how to vote; nonetheless, think about the majority of kids and teachers who will be hurting versus the small amount that don’t need help to begin with.