Kansas public schools are the heart of our communities, serving 90% of Kansas children. Yet efforts are underway in the legislature to erode the foundation of public schools through a variety of tax credit bills/voucher programs. One bill would add $125 million in new spending to pay for private school tuition, with no oversight. Keep in mind, over 60 of the 105 counties in Kansas have no private schools; most are located in the eastern part of the state.
My constituents from Johnson County share that recent presentations by Sen. Ty Masterson and Rep. Dan Hawkins (both members of ALEC) detailed how affluent parents of current private school students can benefit from these programs. In light of that, I wanted to introduce you to a couple different families who are ready to accept your tax dollars (names have been changed for confidentiality): Meet Jeff and Kim. This couple, along with their three children (who attend private school), live in a home valued at $799,000. While there has been no struggle to pay tuition or other bills, they are hopeful of receiving voucher money so they can remodel their kitchen to a more “chic” style incorporating chandeliers, etc Next, meet Dave and Jennifer. They live in a home valued at $630,000, and have a place at the Lake valued at $539,000. They have two teenagers who attend private school. They want the voucher money to be able to buy a really nice sports car for their oldest daughter when she graduates high school.
If you live in rural Kansas and are already dealing with a lack of accessibility to health care, child care deserts, and struggling local economies, just wait until voucher plans are implemented to siphon funds from YOUR public schools and communities. Don’t fall for this scam; make sure your state legislators don’t as well. If you are unsure of who represents you, go to KSLeg Lookup & Voting Scorecard and contact both your state senator and representative to let them know that voting in favor of vouchers is a betrayal to your rural communities.
Sen. Cindy Holscher, Overland Park
Sen. Cindy Holscher served two terms in the Kansas House (2017-2020) and has been in the Senate since 2021. While she currently lives in Johnson County, she was raised on a farm and continues to revere her rural roots. As a supporter of education, she has served as a PTA volunteer and legislative liaison, has worked as a substitute in our public schools, and walked from Johnson County to the state Capitol twice to advocate for education funding.
