Education leaders are lining up to oppose legislation that would grant tax breaks to Kentuckians who donate to scholarships for private schools.
Under House Bill 205, the state could extend up to $25 million in tax breaks to those who contribute to scholarships for students to attend private schools.
An analysis by the Legislative Research Commission estimates the bill could cost taxpayers as much as $209 million by 2025, according to the Associated Press.
Supporters argue the measure will open up more educational avenues and boost school choice for low-income and at-risk students. But superintendents across the state are unifying in their opposition, saying those dollars should instead be funneled into public schools.
"We certainly believe that we need every dollar we can get in our public schools to be able to offer the best opportunities for our students," says Woodford County superintendent Scott Hawkins. "House Bill 205 takes dollars away. And at a time when we're already underfunded, we can't lose that."
News of the bill’s posting in committee Tuesday – and movement on a separate measure reworking the board overseeing teacher pensions – have prompted renewed calls for so-called “sickouts” across the state.
Teachers in Fayette County and elsewhere called in en masse last week, closing schools in some districts. The move failed to halt the advance of the pension board bill.
HB 205 comes on the heels of comprehensive bipartisan school safety reforms that coasted through the House and Senate without any new funding. Lawmakers expect to take up that half of the bill in 2020.
