Kentucky election: What is the 'school choice' ballot measure?
What is the 'school choice' amendment on Kentucky's ballot?
Kari Stevens says a "school choice" amendment on Kentucky's ballot this election could greatly impact her family's life.
Stevens, a mother of two, has a son who attends a high school in Oldham County Schools. The district's schools are routinely ranked among the best in the state, but Stevens said her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety and has struggled to learn there.
"My oldest is special needs, and the big box learning just does not work for him," she said. "And I am really looking forward and hoping that we can get some other options for families that have kids like I do that need a different way of learning."
Oldham County, a higher-income area northeast of Louisville, has long drawn residents seeking entry to its schools. But as voters continue to weigh a controversial constitutional amendment that would let lawmakers spend tax dollars on nonpublic education, some in Oldham have joined the chorus supporting the change -- including one of the county's top lawmakers.
Republican state Sen. Lindsey Tichenor -- who represents Oldham and Trimble counties, as well as part of Jefferson County -- is advocating for families like Stevens' through her support for Amendment 2.
"For Oldham County, we do have a great school district, and I support our school district and advocate for them," Tichenor said. "I'm a proud Oldham County graduate, and some of my children are as well, and I support them. But we also have students within Oldham County who aren't getting the education that they need because every child is different."
Amendment 2 asks voters whether state legislators should be able to allocate tax dollars to education outside the public school system, commonly referred to by proponents as giving families "school choice."
If passed, the legislature could introduce a school choice program as early as next legislative session, including approving a funding mechanism for charter schools or school vouchers, which could be spent on private school tuition.
Laura O'Brien, another Oldham County parent with two kids in public schools, said she wouldn't pull her kids out of public school system if the amendment passes, but she still supports giving other families more educational opportunities.
"We don't have enough choices for each kid," she said. "There's so many ... like my kids that are doing well (and) thriving in public schools. But there's so many that aren't. And I have a huge passion just to help them any way I can."
Tichenor becomes prominent voice advocating for 'school choice'
Tichenor said one of the main reasons she supports the amendment is because she believes it will help economically disadvantaged children who are "being hurt the most within our public school system."
Ahead of Election Day, Tichenor has posted about the measure on social media and met with constituents, both through door-knocking and at events.
If the amendment passes, Tichenor said she will advocate for school choice measures that have already been passed by the state legislature.
That includes charter schools, which have been legal in Kentucky since 2017, as well as a tax-credit scholarship program passed in 2021.
Charter schools are tuition-free schools that are publicly funded but independently run. The tax-credit scholarship program, meanwhile, would offer tax credits to people who donate money for scholarships to nonpublic schools and create educational opportunity accounts for families to use the scholarships.
Funding methods for both charter schools and the scholarship program were ruled unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court, leading Republican lawmakers to put Amendment 2 on the ballot.
While Tichenor thinks most of her constituents in Oldham County are happy and wouldn't leave public schools, she said amendment supporters there see the measure as necessary for other counties.
"A portion of my district is in Jefferson County, and when you look at the number of students ... that are not reaching those proficiency levels of reading and math, it's critical that we do something," she said.
Standardized test results released in October show 31% of Jefferson County Public Schools elementary students were proficient in math and 37% were proficient in reading.
"What works for one large group of students in the public education platform that we have may not work for certain students," Tichenor said. "And for them to be able to have the ability and the choice to choose a different path, so that they can get the necessary resources available or just a different type of education, that should be available for every student."
Oldham County parents have mixed opinions on public school system
Kelly Richie, a mother with two children in Oldham County elementary schools, said she and her family moved there from southern Indiana because of the public school system. Through talking with Oldham County parents and researching online, Richie said she was convinced to make the move for the opportunities the district provided and its parent-teacher engagement.
"When we go to parent-teacher conferences, our teachers are very interactive," Richie said. "They talk about your kid very specifically, about what their needs are (and) about what we could be doing at home."
Richie said Oldham County Schools also has opportunities for parents to get involved, including volunteering in the library or lunchroom or reading to students.
In the classroom, Richie appreciates how her kids learn through different methods and activities, including hands-on experiments and listening to guest speakers, instead of just through worksheets or on a tablet.
Richie noted many of her friends and neighbors moved their children from JCPS to Oldham County Schools for what they call "a more collaborative and safe space."
"(My kids) love it," she said. "I ask them every day what's something great that happened and what's something not so great that happened? And 99% of the time they're like, 'Nothing not great happened, mom.'"
Stevens, the parent with a son in high school, said she's voting "yes" on Amendment 2 not because she doesn't like public schools but because she believes the measure will open up other opportunities for students like her son, who may not excel in public school settings.
Stevens said charter schools, specifically, would have more flexibility when it comes to teaching methods and curriculums. If the amendment passes and charter schools were to open, Stevens said she would send her son to one.
"If they have a child like my son who doesn't learn like most kids, they can change the way that they teach," Stevens said. "And in a traditional public school, that's not possible."