By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A bill being considered in the Kansas House is aimed at expanding school choice, but local public school officials have expressed concerns about the financial fall out for public schools.
The school choice bill would allow at-risk students to use state per pupil base aid designated for public schools toward tuition at private schools.
According to Kansas Division of Budget, if only 5 percent of Kansas public school students opted in to the Student Empowerment Program, more than $100 million would be diverted from Kansas public education.
In attempts to pass the legislation, supporters have rolled into the bill public schools' funding from the U.S. Department of Education and the renewal of the statewide mill levy for public schools.
"It's a strategy. We put some popular things in it, and people feel they are important and should vote for [them], and hopefully our bill will slide in," Hays USD 489 Superintendent Ron Wilson said.
"I think it is important we note this and make people aware that these kind of tricks are going on at the legislative level."
Wilson said the district has notified local legislators that it is opposed to the bill.
"It hurts public education," he said. "Public schools don't get to play by the same rules as private schools get to, and those funds that were designated by the Legislature were designated for public school education."
Private schools can choose who they accept. They are also not required to report back to the state on student performance as public school are.
Wilson encourages board members to contact legislators and express their opposition to the private school funding portion of the bill.
As of Wednesday, the bill had been referred out of the House Appropriations Committee for consideration by the full House.
Thomas More Prep-Marian Principal Chad Meitner said he had not read the bill, but he supports measures that would expand school choice for families.
"We here at TMP-Marian have always been in favor of a family's right to educate their children and to do so in a way that helps raise them in the faith if they have a faith," Meitner said. "Having that choice is something we see as a very positive thing."
He continued, "To have some variety and education options is usually a good thing, becuase each family is different and each chid is different."
Meitner said allowing low-income families to choose private school for their children is a matter of equality.