1. United States
2. Ky.
3. Letter

I’m writing to you today as a constituent in Clemens Heights, Lexington because I’m deeply concerned about Senate Bill 114. If this passes, it effectively strips me of my right to hold my local school board accountable. I don't use the term "disenfranchisement" lightly, but that’s exactly what happens when you take a vote away from the people and hand it to a political appointee. Right now, if the school board fails our kids or mismanages our tax dollars, we have a clear remedy: we vote them out. SB 114 replaces that direct line of accountability with an 11-member appointed board. Under this new system, if I have an issue with how our schools are run, I’m expected to complain to a mayor or a county judge-executive who isn't even primarily focused on education. That isn't efficiency; it’s a buffer designed to shield decision-makers from public pressure. Kentucky’s Supreme Court has already weighed in on the legislature's recent attempts to target specific districts like ours. It feels like we’re treading the same unconstitutional ground by using the 25,000-student threshold to single out Lexington and Louisville. I’m asking you to trust the voters of your district. We’re perfectly capable of choosing our own representatives, and we don't need the state to "protect" us from our own right to vote. Please oppose SB 114 and keep our school boards accountable to the parents they serve.