A bill has received its first reading that would overcome constitutional objections to charter school funding by passing an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution.
The bill, HB 174, has Josh Calloway (R-Irvington) as its primary sponsor, along with 34 other Republican sponsors. The Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs committee in the House passed it out of committee on Tuesday.
The bill has one main clause: the amendment to the state constitution. It reads as follows:
The General Assembly may provide for the educational costs of students outside of the system of common schools. Sections 183, 184, 186, and 189 of this Constitution shall not prevent any provision for educational costs of students outside of the system of common schools, nor require a referendum for any such provision for educational costs so long as no funds are used from the common school fund.
From the implementation language of the bill, it appears that Calloway is proposing that the amendment be voted on in the 2024 election.
