TOPEKA — Public schools have become a monopoly, Republican lawmakers argued, in an attempt to gain support for a far-reaching voucher-like program that would fund unregulated private schools with state dollars.
During a Tuesday House hearing on the legislation, Augusta Republican Rep. Kristey Williams, the driving force behind Senate Bill 83, said the proposal would allow alternatives to public schools to thrive, such as entrepreneurial micro-schools.
“Our public schools are a monopoly,” Williams said. “It’s the only monopoly in our economy today, if you think about it. You can go anywhere you want and purchase any type of medical care, you can choose where you get your hair cut, you can choose to go to higher ed anywhere, but the K-12, you don’t.”
