Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Olathe public schools teamed up this month to urge federal lawmakers to vote against a new bill that would expand private school voucher programs nationwide.
The Educational Choice for Children Act, a federal bill that was reintroduced this year, would provide $10 billion in annual tax credits to help establish scholarship awards to cover “expenses related to K-12 students in public and private education,” according to a news release from the office of U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith — a Republican from Nebraska who helped introduce the bill.
A base dollar amount would be set for each state, and then credits would be distributed on a first-come first-served basis. Scholarship organizations would determine the individual amount of awards.
David Smith, Shawnee Mission’s chief communications officer, said that the districts wrote the joint letter to raise awareness because the bill wasn’t discussed or debated in public hearings.
“It’s my understanding that it was included in the U.S. House Budget Bill,” Smith said. “We don’t believe it belongs in the budget bill, we don’t believe it is something that is in the best interest of public education. It is something that we would like to not see passed.”
On May 15, superintendents Tonya Merrigan of Blue Valley Schools, Brent Yeager of Olathe Public Schools and Michael Schumacher of Shawnee Mission School District submitted the joint letter, saying it would “divert public funds to private education.” Together, the three Johnson County districts serve more than 70,000 students.
“Kansas has a long history of supporting strong public schools. Our Legislature has consistently rejected broad voucher programs, instead opting for a carefully limited tax credit scholarship initiative,” the letter said. “That decision reflects the values of our state — values that prioritize public education, local control and equitable opportunity for every child.”
State level actions
Similarly this year, Kansas Republicans introduced SB 75 — a bill that would provide a $125 million voucher program for scholarships to cover private school tuition.
Parents would get $8,000 if they sent their children to an accredited private school or $4,000 to a nonaccredited private school, and there wouldn’t be a cap on how many dependent children parents could collect the tax credit for in a given year.
Similar bills to set up voucher programs have been rejected by Kansas lawmakers in the past, the joint letter stated.
“This legislation undermines those values and would impose a model Kansans have not chosen,” the letter said.
The reduction in public schools funding would come at a time when schools are already challenged with rising costs in special education, staffing, health care, technology and infrastructure.
“They weaken the public education system without expanding opportunity,” the letter said.
Kansas public schools budgets are based on the number of students they enroll. During the 2024-25 school year, it was a base rate of $5,378 per student. Critics argued that these programs would pull students out of public schools and impact the corresponding budgets.
“Public dollars should remain in public schools—where every child is welcomed and served, every dollar is transparently and responsibly managed, and every effort is made to deliver on the American promise of equitable, high-quality education for all.”
Read the full letter here.
5.15.25 – Joco Districts Joint Letter – Federal Voucher – Final by The Kansas City Star on Scribd
