Protect Our Schools KY, the group behind the defeat of Amendment 2 in last year’s election cycle, on Wednesday officially relaunched with a new mission.
The group unites public education advocates and allied organizations, building on the momentum and success of the Amendment 2 campaign. Its new mission states that together they’re committed to advancing a bold vision that champions support, respect, and meaningful reinvestment in Kentucky’s public schools.
At a press event in Frankfort four speakers described the organization’s new direction, and the activities they will engage in throughout this year.
“Last November, the Protect Our Schools KY coalition — made up of teachers, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, and more — worked together to achieve a resounding victory for public education, and all of Kentucky’s kids, by defeating Amendment 2, the Voucher Amendment,” said Jessica Hiler, a teacher in Fayette County. “That victory sent a clear message: Kentuckians — in all 120 counties — stand united in our commitment to public education.”
“We are in a unique position right now to chart a course for our kids’ future,” Hiler said. “Our students deserve the strongest education possible to help us set them up for a lifetime of success. And we’re ready to organize for it.”
Autumn Neagle, a parent from Jefferson County that serves as the President of the Kentucky Parent Teacher Association, explained how the group will begin to organize around their vision for public education.
“This year you can expect to see Protect Our Schools KY travel around the state to put on a series of public engagement campaigns with local stakeholders,” Neagle said. “We will be visioning what public education can look like, alongside Kentuckians, and we will be taking a look at the local impact a number of reinvestments could make in each of our 120 counties. By the end of the year, not only will we have co-created our bold vision with education stakeholders and concerned citizens from across Kentucky, we will have built a more localized, robust coalition than ever before, ready to organize for the future our kids deserve.”
Frankfort Independent’s Superintendent, Dr. Sheri Satterly, joined the group to express excitement for the organization’s new direction, and shared insights about why this moment is important.
“We are at a critical juncture now regarding public education in our state,” she said. “According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, state core funding for public schools, known as SEEK, has declined an inflation-adjusted 26% since 2008. Our schools have been asked to do more with less buying power year after year.”
“The funding gap between wealthy and poorer school districts has grown to levels declared unconstitutional in the 1980s,” Satterly said. “The state has not fully funded school transportation, despite a law requiring them to do so since 2004. And on average, inflation-adjusted teacher salaries across school districts in Kentucky are 20% less than they were in 2008. Every single one of those items directly affects all kids.We can do better for them.”
Boone County high school teacher Kelly Read addressed the urgency of this moment from the federal funding perspective.
“Along with executing a public engagement campaign throughout the year, we are now calling on our federal delegation to publicly oppose any actions that could weaken Kentucky’s public schools or cut or threaten critical funding,” Read said. “According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, in Kentucky federal grants exceed $1 billion annually and include funding for school meals, low-income students, children with disabilities, educator training, and other essential services. Cutting these funds could mean the loss of teachers, the end of vital supports for the most disadvantaged kids, new school lunch fees for parents, and reduced student success and well-being. To put it plainly, these cuts would undermine our communities. In almost every district, a loss of federal funds would be absolutely disastrous.”
Through a series of public engagement campaigns and coalition building, the organization will be creating a public agenda to take to the legislature ahead of the 2026 budget session that stays true to their mission and advances a bold vision around reinvestment in Kentucky’s public schools. Immediately, however, they’ll be activating supporters to reach out to their federal representatives to ask them to publicly oppose any efforts that could weaken Kentucky’s public schools or cut or threaten critical funding.
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Cross-posted from the NKY Tribune.
