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THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS: More students choosing means more choice is needed

Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions

Calloway County (Kentucky) School Board officials seem to be working overtime to deny parents the educational freedom they have enjoyed for 26 years.

The latest wrinkle offered by Calloway County School Superintendent Steve Hoskins is that the Murray Independent Schools failed to properly account for all students who live in the county but attend a city school. State law requires a signed transfer agreement between districts in order for designated funding to follow students to the school they attend.

Hoskins indicated at the Dec. 9 board meeting that the alleged reporting deficiency would prevent acceptance of a proposal by Murray to allow school-choice to continue. If an agreement is not reached by Feb. 1, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) must settle the matter.

This brings pleasure to Hoskins and his fellow government do-gooders who believe that they – not parents – should decide where children attend school. The superintendent also is no doubt aware of the KDE’s past hostility to school choice.

Hoskins and his school-board buddies want to exaggerate the importance of the reporting problem in order to justify their opposition to school choice. The only reason offered by the Calloway board for its refusal to accept Murray’s proposal is to moan about how much money it is losing.

Administrators, not parents, are responsible for reporting problems. Besides, if there are 600 children rather than the previously reported 433 transferring from the county to the city, it’s just another indication that more parents want school choice!

If children were their top concern, Calloway officials would publicly recognize that the reporting problem was not the fault of the parents. Instead, it cheerfully moves forward with plans to plunder the educational liberty enjoyed by conscientious parents for more than a quarter-century.

What a shame.

Sources:

“Murray board checking enrollment; DPP resigns” by Kristin Taylor, Murray Ledger

“Advocates to lobby for school choice issue” by Kristin Taylor, Murray Ledger

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