BY RAEGAN NEUFELD
If adopted by the Kansas Legislature, House Bill 2218 would become the Sunflower Education Equity Act and provide an education savings account for children in the state. However, its introduction has public school officials worried about the effect it could have.
Introduced by the K-12 Education Budget Committee at the end of January, the bill would allow guardians to use money from state taxes towards a private or home school education for their child. Since its introduction, the bill has gone back to the K-12 Education Budget Committee for amendments and most recently was referred to the Appropriations Committee.
“An education savings account is a type of voucher,” said Leah Fliter, assistant director of Advocacy and Governmental Relations for the Kansas Association of School Boards, “which means public tax money is taken away from public schools and given to students so they can pay for either private or home-schooling expenses.”
While supporters of the bill say it allows families to choose the best education for their children with less of a financial burden, Fliter voiced concern, stating private, “for-profit” schools can be more selective of their students and what they teach. Similarly, Fliter said the state of Kansas has no regulations — complying with state standards, reporting progress, etc. — for home schools.
“(The bill) penalizes public schools and takes funding away from them,” she said.
For Hays USD 489 Superintendent Ron Wilson, his district’s proximity to Thomas More Prep-Marian Junior/Senior High School is a cause for concern. An education savings account may be what causes some students to transfer, something a district without a private school nearby will not be impacted by.
“During a school year, people get upset for various reasons, and now it’s going to be a thing where they say, ‘I’m taking my kid and I’m taking my money,’ because it’s a way to get back at you,” he said. “Because they don’t like decisions that have been made and invariably it’s going to happen.”
While public schools receive a small amount of money from local and federal taxes, state taxes are their primary source of funds, which is why people like Fliter and Wilson have reacted so strongly.
“It’s not that I’m against private education, but I am against saying you can take public dollars to educate at a private school,” Wilson said.
As mentioned, supporters of House Bill 2218 view it positively as a way to help families afford a non-public education. According to TMP-Marian Principal Chad Meitner, these supporters include advocates for education choice and customized education.
“Even though we’re one of the most affordable schools, as far as private schools in the state, it’s still a barrier for folks,” Meitner said. “Any amount of money at all is sometimes too much. If there’s a great educational opportunity for them and they’re being held back financially, then a bill like this really helps.”
There is still more to be done if the bill, or one similar, goes anywhere. According to Fliter, the process may end instead with a push for House Bill 2218 and Senate Bill 83.
“What they really are trying to do is create controversy, concern and angst,” Fliter said. “Then what’s going to happen, maybe it will be March or April before this happens, but they’ll just say, ‘Instead, let’s fall back on this other tuition tax credit expansion bill,’ which they’ve already also passed out of committee.”
The aforementioned bills would expand the state’s tax credit scholarship law, which currently benefits low-income students. The expansion would apply to those with a higher income and increase the donor’s tax write-off from 70 percent to 100 percent.