Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Kansas lawmakers in recent years have passed legislation that allows for open enrollment in public schools, as well as pushed measures that would expand a system of tax credits for families who send their children to private schools. Supporters of such moves say they give more freedom to families in making decisions about their child’s education. Opponents see them as threats that place new and unfair burdens on public schools. Where do you stand on such measures? Do you support moves like open enrollment and school vouchers? Why or why not?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on the issue:
District 11
Kellie Warren (Republican, incumbent)
Since I started in the Legislature in 2019, public education has been a top priority for me. Since then I have also had three kids graduate from the Blue Valley School District and I have one more who is a BVHS Sophomore. As a Blue Valley mom, I want to ensure our Johnson County schools stay among the best in the nation. I’m advocating for our great schools in the Senate. I used my background as an attorney and a PTO member to help end the school finance lawsuits and get our schools fully funded. For six years in a row now, I have worked with Governor Kelly to fully fund our public schools without raising taxes while balancing the state budget. We have also increased funding for special education, created a tax credit for teachers, and established the Blueprint for Literacy to improve reading proficiency in K-12.
The vast majority of people in my district are like my family and utilize their local public schools and are happy with them. However, I realize that for some parents in certain situations – the local public schools might not be the best fit for their child. I know parents who have children with special needs, or their child might be bullied in a particular school, and they believe their child could succeed and feel more comfortable in a different public school or educational environment. I want to make sure those parents can find an option that best fits their child. We can support policies to help those families while also fully funding public schools.
Karen Thurlow (Democratic)
I oppose any measure that would divert public money away from public schools. Vouchers would undermine our public schools by reducing the resources available to them, which are needed for our schools to operate effectively — and maintain their current level of excellence.
Tax credits in the form of vouchers will lead to larger class sizes, fewer educational programs, and put sports and activities at risk. Additionally, vouchers can exacerbate educational inequality. Vouchers wouldn’t cover the full cost of private school tuition, leaving many families unable to benefit from them.
People move to Johnson County because of the excellent public school system we currently have. Not only do our schools serve our kids, they support our home values, attract businesses and help grow our economy.
It’s critical we continue to support our public schools, which are the cornerstone of our community.
