School Choice – what once was a term that simply described a variety of different school options – is now a term that brings about a variety of different emotions. What once was a nonpartisan issue is now deeply polarizing in today’s times.
Here at Kentucky Youth Advocates, we believe in equipping families with the tools to make the best choices for their unique circumstances. We believe that whatever “choice” of education, it should be an option that provides ALL Kentucky kids with the best possible opportunities for a brighter future.
We also believe that through this hotly debated issue, there needs to be some coolness and clarity around what school choice is.
School Choice has had many names – “Freedom of Choice,” “Educational Freedom,” “Free Market Schools,” among others. It comes in many different forms – “charters,” “school vouchers,” “education savings accounts,” “tax credit scholarships,” “tuition grants.” The many forms, while not uniquely different, create an environment that is overwhelming for families. The cost of this confusion has created a landscape whereby bringing up the topic of “school choice” creates division.
Rather than shy away from a topic, we at KYA believe in the power of leaning in. So, together, let’s lean into this topic of school choice and Kentucky’s current education system.
What is School Choice?
According to Cara Fitzpatrick, author of “The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America,” the School Choice movement started as a “coordinated effort to provide parents with more educational options and improve public schools through competition.” This movement was driven by beliefs around funding students and families over systems, allowing the free market to drive education, and giving parents and families more decision-making power.
School choice gives families the choice as to where they would like to send their children– typically to a school other than their district’s public school (e.g., a charter school, private school, home-school, magnet school, or a different public school in a different district).
Most individuals think about common types of schooling as:
- Public schools – local, publicly funded, publicly ran
- Private schools – privately funded, privately ran
- Montessori Schools – traditionally privately ran, privately funded
- Parochial or religious schools – privately funded, privately ran
- Homeschooling – private, home setting
- Online schools both public and privately funded and operated (increasingly has emerged out of the Covid-19 pandemic)
School choice is made up of voucher programs, tax-credit scholarship programs, Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), and other mechanisms.
Common Ways to Fund Choice
Education Savings Account (ESA)
| What? | Government authorized savings account that can be used for school tuition, educational products and services, and more. |
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| How is this funded? | Income-tax, sales-tax, and other taxes become the revenue the state uses to pay for education. ESAs are funded with a portion of the money the state has allocated for each child’s education. |
| How do they work? | Families can use their ESA funds for approved categories. |
| Additional Information |
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Tax-Credit Education Savings Accounts
| What? | Tax-credit ESAs allow taxpayers to receive full or partial tax credits when they donate to nonprofit organizations that fund and manage parent-directed K-12 education savings accounts. |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Funded through donations |
| How do they work? | Families can use funds for education-related expenses, including tuition. |
| Additional Information | 2 states with Tax-Credit ESAs |
School Vouchers
| What? | Vouchers are portions of money the state has allocated for a parent to pay partial or full tuition including religious and nonreligious options. |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Income-tax, sales-tax, and other taxes become the revenue the state uses to pay for education. |
| How do they work? | A parent gathers information about school options then picks a school that fits the child’s needs. Parents work with schools to get vouchers. When a parent receives a voucher after requesting, the parent signs and submits. |
| Additional Information |
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Tax-Credit Scholarships
| What? | Private school scholarships given to students by a nonprofit funded by tax payer donations. |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Starts with a nonprofit that relies on charitable donations to fund scholarships for kids; taxpayers donate; to inspire more donations, the government offers tax-credits. When donors file income-taxes they are reimbursed for their donation to some degree from the state. |
| How do they work? | A parent works with a scholarship giving nonprofit to find the right fit. Once they do, a child gets a scholarship of some varying amount to go to that school. The state can limit the amount reimbursed to donors. The lower the limit, the smaller the scholarship. The higher the limit, the higher the scholarship. |
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Additional Physical School Choice Options
Charter Schools
| What? | Publicly funded; privately run schools |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Tax payer funded |
| How do they work? | Similar to traditional public schools but typically have more flexibility with curriculum, less oversight in exchange for outcomes; typically operated independently from the local school district. |
| Additional Information |
Homeschooling
| What? | Alternative form of education that typically takes place within a family’s own homes. Homeschooling regulations may vary state to state. |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Financial assistance varies state to state. |
| How do they work? | Homeschooling regulations vary state to state. Some states require more actions than others. |
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Inter/Intra Public School Choice
| What? | Choice within a public school district. Allows movement within the district from “assigned” school. Choice within a defined region/district. |
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| How is this funded? | Tax payer funded |
| How do they work? | District allows choice during an open enrollment period. District allows parents to give enrollment preference within the district. |
| Additional Information |
Magnet Schools
| What? |
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|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Tax payer funded |
| How do they work? | Traditionally application based and competitive in nature. Seats allotted and applications accepted until seats are full. |
| Additional Information |
Private
| What? |
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|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Privately or tuition based |
| How do they work? | Students and families opt out of the public school setting and privately enroll in the school of their choice. |
| Additional Information |
Montessori Schools
| What? | Commonly classified as private, but can be independent |
|---|---|
| How is this funded? | Can be privately or publicly funded |
| How do they work? | Differ from public schools; Montessori is student-led and self-paced; traditionally smaller group settings |
| Additional Information |
Microschooling
| What? | Smaller educational settings; can operate in either public, private, charter, or separately on its own. |
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| How is this funded? | May vary state to state |
Kentucky’s Current Education System
Kentucky provides K-12 students and their families some school choice including traditional public school, magnet schools, home schooling and inter-and intra-district public school choice via open enrollment. Private options may include private and parochial (religious-affiliated) schools. There are Montessori schools in Kentucky which are considered a private option. Kentucky has also considered the establishment of charter schools and education savings accounts. Currently, Kentucky does not allow any non-public school to receive public funds.
Charter Schools
During the 2017 Regular Session of the General Assembly, HB 520 was approved that for the first time allowed charter schools in Kentucky. In 2022, HB 9 passed and added rules for funding Kentucky charter schools, including enrollment caps. In a recent decision, Judge Phillip Shepherd declared 2022’s HB 9 unconstitutional in a lawsuit filed by the Council for Better Education.
There are currently no charter schools in Kentucky. KRS 160.1590 to 160.1599 detail at length the parameters for charter schools, authorizers, responsibilities, contracts, and more. 701 KAR 008 outlines Kentucky regulations for charter schools.
Most recently in December of 2023, the first charter in Madison county sparked some debate. After a public hearing, the Madison County School Board denied the application. If LaFontaine Preparatory School (LPS) had been approved, it would have been the first charter school in Kentucky.
Education Savings Account “Kentucky Education Opportunity Accounts”
During the 2021 Legislative session, the General Assembly passed HB 563 which was vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear then overridden before adjourning the session. In a recent decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court, this program was struck down as well and ruled unconstitutional.
Homeschooling in Kentucky
Pursuant to KRS 159.030, a homeschool student is one whom the family has withdrawn from public school and has chosen to educate through a private or home setting. When it comes to homeschool, Kentucky has some of the lowest regulations. Homeschooling is treated as a private school option and there is no financial assistance for families who choose this option. Every child who turns 6 by August 1st until they turn 18 is exempt from public school if they attend a private school. Also, a private homeschool program is not open to inspection by public school officials like traditional private school because the school is operated out of the home. The Kentucky Department of Education outlines Kentucky homeschool information.
Interested in learning more about school choice? Stay tuned for more information related to KYA’s Rubric for Student Success, a look at school choice in other states, as well as, general information about the philosophies in support and against school choice.
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