The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence voted last week in favor of the recent lawsuit filed which challenges the provisions of Bill 563, which establishes tax credits that could be used to pay tuition and fees in non-public schools. The board discussed Kentucky’s constitutional requirement that the General Assembly “provide an effective system of common schools throughout the state” and found that state funding for education should only be used for public school purposes.

“We do not see how House Bill 563 helps Kentucky meet these constitutional obligations and we reiterate our concerns on the use of public funds for private school scholarships, ”said Brigitte Blom Ramsey, President and CEO of the Prichard Committee.

Council members highlighted the substantial opportunity costs of adopting such policies when the state is already underinvesting in the adequacy and equity of our public education system. Insufficient investment in public education threatens to reverse Kentucky’s progress in student achievement and national rankings. Additionally, Kentucky continues to face persistent income inequality, ranking 44th among states for the number of residents living in poverty.

“The Prichard committee did not find sufficient evidence that these types of tax credits – for which there is no accountability – succeed in improving academic performance in other states,” said Blom Ramsey. “Kentucky needs to keep reinvesting in public education, not giving more tax credits. We need to focus on the investment and support needed to bring Kentucky’s 648,000 public school students in every community to the highest standards. “

In other cases, the board has also approved a staff proposal to further develop a center for best practices and innovation which will be another tool Kentuckians can use to leverage l education to pave the way for a greater life for our citizens.

Earlier this year, Spark Base Consulting was engaged to study the feasibility of creating this center, which will exemplify driving positive educational outcomes through local champions and stakeholders.

“The center will allow us to document examples – as part of our Groundswell initiative – of how local innovators are making a difference to student outcomes. We will then work with stakeholders to create repeatable habits among local champions, through toolkits, resources and metric analytics, ”said Blom Ramsey. “This will make it easy for local champions to engage other community members with a ready-made action plan to start the discussions. “

During the meeting, staff also announced that the Prichard Committee offices will move in August from downtown Lexington to an office complex off Winchester Road, off I-75.

From the Prichard Committee for academic excellence