Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
It was an interesting discussion about public money being used by private schools when the Legislative Committee met Friday morning, March 12 via Zoom. The committee is a function of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Alicia Miguel, the Kansas City, Kansas, School District superintendent, expressed her opposition to two bills in the Kansas Legislature – Senate Bill 61 and House Bill 2119.
The House bill would allow educational savings accounts for private schools. Dr. Miguel said that is just another name for vouchers. She said this legislation that would take money away from public schools should be of concern for the general public and businesses. She said that there is concern that if public money goes to religious schools, there is an issue of separation of church and state.
Libby Knox, who is director of development for the Catholic Education Foundation, had opposing views. She spoke in favor of Senate Bill 61. She said the legislation would expand the areas in which tax credits could be used. She said presently there are needy persons who are excluded. She said the program exists according to narrow guidelines established by the courts.
Knox said she was not speaking in favor of House Bill 2119. She said the needy persons helped by the program have a 99 percent high school graduation rate.
Edwin Birch, the executive director for communication and marketing for the Kansas City, Kansas, School District, said he worked for the Kansas City (Missouri) School District, and saw charter schools take away substantial funds from the public school system. Birch also worked as public information officer for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.
Stephen Linkous, the chief of staff for the Kansas City, Kansas, School District, said he comes from Denver where charter schools diluted funds for public schools.
There was discussion about Senate Bill 50 which, passed out of the Senate 35-3; it would help assure sales tax is collected on internet sales.
Also discussed was the legislation that would affect STAR bonds; The minimum for a STAR bond financing project would be $75 million; Mike Taylor, the lobbyist for the Unified Government, said that a $50 million minimum would be more practical. A STAR bond project uses the money that would normally be collected from sales tax to pay for infrastructure such as streets and sewers.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.