LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Election Day, Kentucky voters overwhelmingly struck down a ballot measure that would have allowed public funding to go toward private and charter schools.
Amendment 2 lost by nearly two-thirds of the overall vote statewide. Some counties had much wider margins, however.
More than 70% of voters in Fayette, Franklin, Bracken, Robertson, Nicholas, Edmonson, and Monroe counties decided against Amendment 2. Voters in rural portions of the state, outside of the counties listed above, still struck the ballot measure down by more than 60%.
The vote was closest in McCreary County, located on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, with a little more than 300-vote difference.
Amendment 2 results map by county:
The defeat was a bitter setback for many Republican lawmakers and their allies who have supported funneling state dollars into private school education, only to be thwarted by the courts. The measure was put on the statewide ballot in an attempt to amend Kentucky’s constitution to remove that barrier.
In October, superintendents from across Kentucky voiced concern about the controversial measure and spoke how vouchers would impact their students and districts financially, especially in rural districts where private schools aren't available.
The proposed constitutional amendment also didn't have established policies for how public funds could be diverted. Instead, supporters hoped it would clear the way for lawmakers to consider crafting policies to support students attending private schools. Options mentioned included tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts or vouchers.
Prominent leaders on both sides of the ballot measure framed the issue as a pivotal moment for the future of Kentucky education.
Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul backed the measure along with top GOP state lawmakers. Paul said every child deserves to attend a school that helps them succeed and said the school choice initiative would help achieve that goal.
Supporters said the proposal would give low- and middle-income parents more options to choose the schools best suited for their children, without harming public education. Many parents can’t currently afford to send their kids to private schools, supporters said.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman pushed back against the argument, predicting that vouchers wouldn’t fully cover private school tuition and that many families couldn’t afford the balance. Most voucher money would go to children already at private schools, she said.
The issue has been debated for years as Republicans expanded their legislative majorities in Kentucky.
The push for the constitutional amendment followed court rulings that said tax dollars must be spent on the state’s “common” schools, which courts have interpreted as public. In 2022, Kentucky’s Supreme Court struck down a GOP-backed measure to award tax credits for donations supporting private school tuition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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