By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
Salina Catholic Schools Superintendent, Geoff Andrews and Senator Scott Hill (R-Salina) shared their comments about the vetoing of a bill that could have helped private schools financially.
On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed House Bill 2468 that would change the tax credit cap for a low-income student scholarship program, and approves participation in federal tax credits for individual contributions to scholarship granting organizations.
The bill would have raised the aggregate tax credit limit for the existing Kansas Low Income Students Scholarship Program from $10 million to $15 million.
The main concern of the bill was to ensure funding was not being taken away from public schools.
However, Sen. Hill said Governor Kelly has bragged on many occasions that public schools are “fully funded,” but does not make sense when she stated the bill would have taken funding away.
Andrews said these tax credits would not have taken funding away either.
"Kansas has a long history of using tax credits to support a variety of private and community-based initiatives, and this program follows that same principle—empowering donors to invest directly in students and families," said Andrews.
The Kansas Constitution in Article 6, Section 6, (part b) mentions “The legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.”
Hill brought this up to show the constitution does not favor one school system over the other, and that funding should not separate private and public schools, but should go both ways.
“There are kids that do very well in a public or private school setting and I think that's what we should be doing, is looking at what is best for kids overall,” Hill said.
According to Andrews, across the Diocese of Salina, 119 students currently benefit from the Kansas Tax Credit for Low-Income Students Scholarship Program—students whose families meet clear financial qualifications and are seeking an educational environment rooted in faith, community and academic excellence.
"For these families, even a modest scholarship—around $900 per student—can make a meaningful difference in accessing a Catholic education," said Andrews. "Across Kansas, we are seeing steady growth in the number of low-income students being served through this program, and that reflects a real need among families. We are simply asking for the opportunity to continue meeting that need."
Moreover, Hill brought up a testimony about a juvenile female who stated she was bullied while attending public school and did not fit in. Her mother became concerned and placed her in a private school that had costly tuition.
The student was able to receive a scholarship through the tax credit program to attend the school, and thrived from there.
“Why should we not be supportive of that type of situation? It did not cost anything from the public schools," Hill said. "I just think we need to get past that and start looking at how we can help kids, because our academic performance is suffering due to it.”
Veto of Senate Bill 361
A provision for Senate Bill 361 (SB 361) was presented to the Governor's desk on March 30, which includes Kansas to elect to participate in the federal tax credit for contributions of individuals to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
The provision allows the state to “opt in” the program that supports scholarships and educational services through the SGOs.
This provision is only for a federal tax credit and not state, which will not reduce public school funding. Public schools can also benefit from this provision, according to Sen. Hill.
Both the House (87-37) and Senate (29-10) adopted the final conference committee report on March 27.
Governor Kelly reportedly vetoed the bill on Wednesday afternoon.
“This new federal program needs to be thoroughly vetted to understand the potential impact on funding for our public schools," said Governor Kelly. "If it is, in essence, just another voucher program designed to redirect taxpayer dollars to private schools to the detriment of our public schools, Kansans have made clear they don’t want it. My veto allows time for proper vetting and educated decision-making. Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 361.”
That following evening, Salina Catholic Schools posted on Facebook a response to the Governor's veto of SB 361.
Below is the following statement from the post:
Your Voice Matters for Kansas Students
Governor Kelly has vetoed SB 361, a bill that would have provided meaningful support for students and families across Kansas—at no cost to taxpayers.
This legislation would allow Kansas to opt in to a federal tax credit program that other states have already adopted, opening the door for Scholarship Granting Organizations to support families with tutoring, special education services, curriculum resources, technology, dual-enrollment opportunities, and specialized therapies.
The good news: the Kansas House and Senate passed this bill with overwhelming support, and now legislators have the opportunity to override the veto.
Now is the time to act.
We encourage you to respectfully contact your local legislators and ask them to override the veto of SB 361. Your voice can make a difference for students across our state.
Together, let us continue to advocate for the children and families we are called to serve.
The post also provided a link for people to express their support for the override of the bill.
Click here to gain access to the link.