Leaders of Johnson County school districts are speaking out against a proposal to launch a federal voucher program to help families pay for private or homeschooling costs.
Congressional Republicans have been pushing the Educational Choice for Children Act, which would give up to $5 billion in tax credits a year to donors who fund scholarships for families to use on private and homeschooling expenses including tuition, curriculum, books and tutoring.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, introduced the bill. He said the program would expand “educational freedom and opportunity for students.”
“Expanding President Trump’s tax cuts is about preserving the American Dream,” Cassidy said in a statement. “Giving parents the ability to choose the best education for their child makes the dream possible.”
But superintendents from the Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Olathe school districts have asked Kansas congressional delegates in a letter to reject the Educational Choice for Children Act, alleging it would damage their schools.
Districts receive state and federal resources that are typically determined on a per-pupil basis. If more students leave for private or homeschooling options, opponents worry it will divert dollars away from public schools.
David Smith, the Shawnee Mission School District’s chief communications officer, said private schools don’t have the same responsibilities that public schools do to serve every child — including those with special needs.
“We serve English language learners. We serve students who are facing emotional and mental health challenges or who need to catch up with school,” Smith said. “We do all those things, and when we divert resources from public schools, we have less resources available to us.”
Johnson County school leaders wrote the legislation would reduce funding as they already face rising special education, staffing, health care, technology and infrastructure costs.
Voucher proposals have failed in Kansas despite repeated pushes from conservative lawmakers. Other statewide programs have taken off in recent years, but Johnson County leaders said evidence shows they aren’t expanding opportunities for families.
In Oklahoma, fewer than 10% of applicants to its voucher program were enrolled in public schools, according to NPR. A review in Iowa found many private schools raised tuition prices after the state’s voucher program started.
Other studies have found mixed results of voucher programs’ impact on student academics.
Smith said many of the state’s rural students don’t live in communities with a private school and wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the vouchers. Private schools can also choose which students they accept, unlike public schools.
Within the Shawnee Mission School District, Smith said families can transfer their kids to a different school if there is space. Kansas also has open enrollment where students can enroll in schools outside their home district if they have open seats.
Johnson County school leaders said voucher programs largely benefit families that are already sending their kids to private schools.
“That's a choice they make,” Smith said. “We respect that choice, but it doesn't mean it doesn't benefit the public for public money to go to pay for that choice.”
