From Josh Cowen: It’s simple: states can’t afford to pay for budget-busting school vouchers. Don’t buy industry-funded reassurances or the short-term gimmicks put in by voucher lobbyists to push bills through. With vouchers it’s always over-cost, under-deliver. Originally published on Facebook on March 13th, 2024....
Read more
Leave a Comment Blog
Amendment that adds oversight to voucher bill defeated in Kansas Senate
On the floor of the Senate today Sen. Holscher introduced an amendment requiring private schools (but not homeschools) receiving public tax dollars to comply with the same standards as public schools. It failed 12-21. Remember that the next time vouchers come up. The voucher bills never impose requirements on the private schools. They never ensure that it’s not the schools’ choice, and they never protect the educational rights of students opting for private schools. We appreciate those who voted in favor of the amendment. If your Senator voted against the amendment, you should ask them why. Originally published...
Read more
Leave a Comment Action Alert- Testimony needed on voucher bill in Kansas Senate Tax Committee
There’s a bad tax credit/voucher-type bill being heard in the Senate Tax Committee on Wednesday. If you’d like to submit testimony, you still can do so by 9:30 tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. We have learned that the committee assistant will make the required 20 hard copies. You can designate your testimony as written only or can request to testify orally. Email it as a PDF to the committe assistant at Assessment.Taxation@senate.ks.gov. At the top of your testimony state the bill number (SB 509), that you’re in opposition to the bill, whether it is oral or written-only testimony, and your...
Read more
Leave a Comment Kansas voucher bills include no protections against students being denied admission
There is nothing in the Kansas tax credit “scholarship” program or voucher bills in the Kansas legislature that would keep schools like this from receiving public tax dollars. Some participating schools have very similar requirements to those in this article. “Under the leadership of Bobby Leonard, Bible Tabernacle Church opened a private school called Tabernacle Christian School in 1972. This school receives public tax dollars via the Opportunity Scholarship school voucher program which was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2014. “Tabernacle Christian School has received voucher dollars every school year since 2014-15 for a grand...
Read more
Leave a Comment