Working together with parents, grandparents and volunteers is KLEA's source of strength. KLEA is proud to have shared in many victories for our children in non-public schools.

 

Our continued success depends on continuing the partnership with parents and families. Click here to go to KLEA's Citizen Advocacy page.

March 1992

  KLEA successfully lobbied for revising state law to include non-public school teachers in the loan forgiveness program.

KLEA Position: All state-certified teachers deserve equal treatment under law and cannot be denied state benefits, such as college loan forgiveness because they serve children in non-public schools.

KLEA Position: All students are entitled to equal access to summer school programs regardless of where they attend school. Non-public school students must be treated equally with all other students in a school district attending programs.

  KLEA successfully lobbied the General Assembly to include 2 million dollars in the state budget for transportation of non-public school students. The funding was increased 3 million in 1998.  To date approximately $30 million dollars have been approved.

KLEA Position: All children are entitled to safe transportation to and from school as a matter of public safety. Both the U.S. Supreme Court and the Kentucky Supreme Court have agreed that it is in the public interest to provide transportation for non-public school students.

January 2000

  KLEA fought to include non-public school students in School to Career programs.

  KLEA supported legislation which if passed would have created an educational tax credit for non-public school parents.

KLEA Position: As taxpayers, parents of non-public school students deserve financial consideration under Kentucky tax law.

January 2002

  KLEA supporters continued to seek appropriate support for parents of non-public school students in the 2002 Kentucky General Assembly.  H.B. 567 was introduced by Rep. Greg Stumbo.  A $500 tax credit would have been available to donors who contributed that much to a scholarship organization for use by children who qualify for free or reduced lunches at non-public schools.  The legislation has broad support, but died in committee without a hearing.

January 2006

  The Education Improvement Tax Credit Act, HB 630.

KLEA introduced a bill that would allow a business to receive a 50% tax credit for contributions up to $150,000 to Education Improvement Organizations that would help public and non-public school students.

The credit is capped at $75,000 in any year for each corporation. Thus, it provides a public match of private contributions to non-profits focused on education. A total of $30 million in credits will be available with $15 million dedicated to public schools and $15 million dedicated to nonpublic schools.

Public schools can use the funds to support innovative educational programs. This might include, but is not limited, to improving classroom technology, subsidizing extra-curricular program costs such as admission prices to museums and other educational events.

Students living in households with incomes of $60,000 or less (for a family with one child; an additional $10,000 would be permitted for each additional child) will be eligible to receive scholarships from scholarship organizations so they can attend nonpublic schools.