1. United States
2. Kan.
3. Letter

I am writing as a constituent to express my strong opposition to Kansas House Bill 2468. This bill would significantly expand the diversion of public education funds to private schools at a time when Kansas has failed to meet its constitutional and moral obligation to fully fund public education — particularly special education. HB 2468 would expand the cap on the tax credit scholarship (voucher) program from $10 million to $30 million, tripling the amount of money diverted away from public schools and into private institutions. In addition, the bill would opt Kansas into a new federal voucher program with no cap on the amount of federal funding that could be redirected to private schools. This represents a major and permanent shift of resources away from public education. Neither the State of Kansas nor the federal government is currently meeting its obligation to fully fund special education. As a result, school districts across the state are forced to cover special education shortfalls using general education funds — money intended to serve all students. This impacts classroom sizes, teacher support, student services, and educational quality for every child, not just those receiving special education services. It is irresponsible to further divert public dollars to private schools while public school districts are struggling to meet federally mandated special education requirements. Private schools are not required to accept all students, provide special education services at the same level, or meet the same accountability standards as public schools — yet HB 2468 would funnel even more public money toward them. Kansas legislators should be prioritizing: Fully funding special education Strengthening public schools that serve all students Reducing the burden on local districts forced to backfill state funding failures HB 2468 moves Kansas in the opposite direction by deepening inequities and weakening the public education system that the vast majority of Kansas children rely on. I urge you to oppose HB 2468 and instead focus on fulfilling Kansas’s responsibility to fully and equitably fund public education, starting with special education. Thank you for your time and consideration.