School superintendents from every Northern Kentucky school district came together Monday to speak out in opposition to Kentucky House Bill 205.
The superintendents say,if approved, the bill could reduce state coffers by millions of dollars a year by giving away state funds in new tax credits.
The superintendents came together to urge the public, and especially parents of children in public schools, to contact their legislators through the legislative hotline (1-800-372-7181) to speak out against HB205, known as the “Scholarship Tax Credit bill”. The school leaders stressed the urgency of the situation, as the bill is expected to be called up in committee Tuesday morning.
“To have every superintendent in this region here today shows you how concerned we are with the Scholarship Tax Credit bill,” said Alvin L. Garrison, superintendent of Covington Independent Public Schools, who opened a press conference the group called today about HB205.
The press conference was hosted by the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services (NKCES); 17 school districts are members of NKCES and all were represented at the press conference.
Garrison
“If you have a child in public school, HB205 is an attack on you and your child,” said Dr. David A. Rust, superintendent of Campbell County Schools, speaking for all the superintendents. “It will deprive dollars to provide your child a quality education. It will deprive our ability to continue to expand our excellent public-school offerings and opportunities to our children.”
“Our opposition to HB 205 is not an argument against parent choice or against those who want to donate money to private schools,” Dr. Rust noted. “It is an argument for adequate funding for public schools as mandated in the Kentucky constitution, and it is an argument against giving away more state general fund dollars when our public schools and districts are already woefully underfunded.”
Kentucky ranks third worst among all states in state funding for public schools, with the deepest cuts to K-12 education from 2008-2017, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Fundamental elements and programs to support students’ education – such as textbooks, instructional resources, early childhood learning, and school bus transportation – remain critically underfunded or lack state funding altogether.
Examples of inadequate state funding include:
• Early childhood education, which research says is the greatest equalizer for at-risk students. The state made deep cuts in the current budget biennium to the funding of preschool, which is already barely supported by the state, and funds only half-day kindergarten.
• Student transportation. The state reimburses school districts only 58 percent of the costs; districts must increase local taxes and use local funds to pick up the difference.
• Textbooks, instructional materials, and teacher professional development. The state budget approved last year provides NO FUNDS for textbooks, instructional materials or teacher professional development for this school year or next school year.
The list of Northern Kentucky School Districts represented at Monday’s press conference and their superintendents. Click to enlarge
“Our state legislators beat their chests and bragged about increasing SEEK funding by $18 per student last year, to the highest level ever….and bragged about pumping more money into teacher pensions,” said Dr. Rust, speaking for all the superintendents. “That was all true and we greatly appreciate it.
“What they failed to tell you is that they reduced all of the items previously mentioned, resulting in a net loss of tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars in many our districts. Districts saw fewer dollars to spend on students and teachers this year.”
In addition, last week the Kentucky Senate and House passed Senate Bill 1, the School Safety Bill, legislation applauded by the superintendents. However, all the measures discussed in the Safety Bill cannot be implemented next year due to a lack of funding.
“At a time when school safety is on the minds of everyone associated with public education and funding is not available, a bill that will reduce the revenue in the state of Kentucky by $25 million dollars in the first year is unacceptable,” said Covington Superintendent Garrison. “Lawmakers across the Commonwealth have stated that they are committed to finding funding for our student’s safety. It is, therefore, a direct conflict of interest and message to support yet another tax break that will reduce the revenue in our state.”
An impact study on a bill similar to HB205 that was introduced last year estimated the tax credit program would cost the state $50 million in lost revenue by its fourth year of implementation.
With the state unable now to find the dollars to fund the basic elements of education, or to keep students safe, this proposal to give away millions of dollars in the Scholarship Tax Credit Bill cannot be supported.
The superintendents claim that the bill is a “back door” effort that would steer millions of dollars from underfunded public schools and is subject to a constitutional challenge.
“The claim that students leaving a public school to attend a private school actually saves money, is simply NOT true,” said Dr. Rust. “When enrollment drops for any reason, fixed and stranded operational costs always remain and continue to climb through simple inflation. When students leave public schools, the fixed costs do not leave with them.”
Based on research from other states, Dr. Rust estimated his Campbell County School District could lose 3-4 students per grade level if HB 205 were implemented.
“A loss of 3-4 students per grade level would not create a need to reduce any teachers. I could not reduce my bus routes or cafeteria workers or instructional aides. And my utility costs won’t change and will likely still continue to increase with inflation,” he said. “Yet by losing those 50 students, I would lose $200,000 in state funding…. That means this amount would have to be picked up by our local funding or by cutting programs.”
The superintendents also cited evidence from the state of Georgia that showed that tax-funded scholarships went to higher-income students and that ‘at-risk’ students did not benefit.
“And let me be very clear,” Dr. Rust added. “I don’t anticipate any of our local private schools being willing to extend any of these scholarships to students with handicaps or learning disabilities. That has never been their mission, nor their history.’’
The superintendents made this final request:
· Call your legislators and call them today. Tell them to oppose HB 205. We urge you to call the LRC hotline: 1-800-372-7181.
· Protect our public schools and protect our public school children.
NKCES
Alternate Headline “Generously Compensated Public Servants Reject Student Benefits due to Fear of Competition from Private Schools”