Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky says Amendment 2 is bad for children’s health

Kentucky Health News

In a two-page document titled, “Amendment 2 is Bad for the Health of Kentucky Kids,” the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky describes ways taking money away from “our already underfunded public schools” would impact the health of Kentucky’s youth.

Amendment 2 is a constitutional amendment that will be on Kentucky’s ballot for the general election in November. If approved by voters, state legislators would be given the authority to use public dollars to help fund private schools, something that is currently banned in Kentucky’s state constitution.

“It would most likely result in money being drained away from our already underfunded public schools,” says the foundation’s “two-pager.”

The foundation writes that there is a link between health and education, noting that in the long term, “education helps people access quality health care, find employment that pays a living wage and allows people to live in safe, non-polluted environments.” Further, “it increases a person’s health literacy.”

Because of this link, the foundation says it’s essential to “properly fund” public schools so that every student has access to a quality education, because public schools can’t turn any student away.

“Although it’s unclear how Amendment 2 would be implemented, it would grant legislators the authority to fund private schools at the expense of public schools, hurting the only quality education that is
available to all and not just a few. This would put our future generations at greater risk of poor health,” the foundation says.

Further, the foundation adds that most public schools provide health services and implement disease prevention programs that could be at risk if Amendment 2 is passed.

“But these non-education resources could be on the chopping block if funds are lost,” according to the foundation.

The foundation says the health-related resources that need to be protected are school nurses and school-based health services, Family Resource and Youth Service Centers (FRYSCs), physical education and access to nutritious foods and school-administered meal programs.