By Jason Adkins, Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative
Because our social media feeds and cable news networks have focused on hot-button issues in education, you may have missed an important development. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution to cut education and workforce funding by $330 billion over the next 10 years.
Commentators and pundits debate education funding and dismiss investments as waste without ever defining the term. Unfortunately, a critical voice is missing from this much-needed conversation: educators.
As CEO of the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative (OVEC), I work with an incredible team of education experts to support 14 Kentucky public school districts as they work to educate the next generation. We do so by spearheading programs and initiatives that help teachers develop professionally, learn new skills in the classroom and even recruit new Kentucky teachers.
Programs like Teach Tech Kentucky, which empowers teachers to include technology and computational thinking into their existing curriculums, are helping fuel tomorrow’s workforce. Additionally, OVEC’s teacher apprenticeship program is primed to bring new teachers into classrooms so our students receive more individualized instruction.
While we fill a vital role, districts rely heavily on federal support to maintain quality educational experiences for students, recruit and retain high-quality teachers and ensure student success in the classroom, workplace and community.
To understand the potential impacts on Kentucky public schools, teachers and students, it is important to know the facts. That means understanding how much districts currently receive from the federal government. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KCEP) conducted a study and analyzed districts’ budgets from across the state to determine how much federal funding districts receive.
The study found that OVEC districts – and Kentucky public schools more broadly – can’t make ends meet without federal funding. According to KCEP, OVEC districts collectively receive $413 million in federal funding per year. On average, approximately 18% of an OVEC district’s funding comes from the federal government.
The numbers vary from district to district, but some areas in our region could lose 24% of their funding if federal education funding is eliminated.
Resources that students rely on through programs like free and reduced school lunch, Title I and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act all are at risk if federal education dollars are cut. These funds are also used to assist students prepare to join the workforce.
There is no doubt that the future of Kentucky public schools is on the line, and while education may be a hotly contested subject, one thing we all can agree on is Kentucky’s kids are a worthy investment. Urge your Congressional Representatives to fund our future and protect investments in education funding.
