Chairman Erickson opened the meeting with approval of Committee Minutes for February 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. Senator Adam Thomas moved to pass the Minutes out of committee, seconded by Senator Shane. The motion carried.
Chairman Erickson opened the hearing on HB2468. Revisor Tamera Lawrence gave an overview of the bill. (Attachment 1)
Proponent:
Scarlett Acosta, student at Bishop Ward High School, said scholarships are the foundation of any school and explained her move from public school to a private catholic school due to mental health issues. Moving to a private school was one of the best decisions her parents could have made as her grades and mental health drastically improved, and she felt like she belonged. Education is the foundation of life, and everyone deserves it. Opting allows students of Kansas to have a better chance of an education, and this bill will allow more students to benefit and to reach their full potential. (Attachment 2)
Jamie Finkeldei, Associate Superintendent of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, reported the Diocese of Wichita serves almost 8,891 K-12 students. Twenty-seven percent of those students are on free and reduced lunch and are supported by the Diocese's Support for Catholic Schools which distributed $3.4 million and was responsible for 34% of all tax credits used. There has been slow but steady growth in the number of low income students being served by private and Catholic schools across the state. The Diocese would like to continue the growth they have been experiencing. Adopting the ECCA federal tax scholarship would help address some concerns as it can be used by public and private schools alike. This provides a great opportunity to improve the academics of all students in Kansas. (Attachment 3)
James Franko, President, Kansas Policy Institute, said there is strong parental support for educational choice. Widespread, bipartisan support cuts across geographic regions for educational choice. From state exams to the NAEP, to the ACT, or graduation rates, it is abundantly clear "achievement gaps" are a tragic reality of education, not just in Kansas but across the country. Higher-income children are achieving academic success at a much higher rate than their lower-income peers. The goal is to give every Kansas child the opportunity to succeed which means most children will attend a high-performing public school, but it should also include a different avenue for children where the local public school is not the right fit. (Attachment 4)
Kim Hammers, Executive Director of EMBRACE, stated education is expensive and the education of a child with a disability or different needs from their peers means more specialized instruction and specialists are needed to support that student. This bill would allow more families access to Catholic schools, which may have previously been out of their reach and to hire specialized staff to provide direct instruction to students who learn differently, opening doors to all students and creating an inclusive education in a safe and faith-filled environment. (Attachment 5)
Andrea Hillebert, Teacher and Administrator, Mater Dei Catholic School, said school choice breaks the arbitrary limitations between a student's housing and the school that he or she can attend. It cannot be acceptable for a zip code to remain a significant indicator of student success. The time has come to increase the cap for tax credits for low income students. Kansas should opt into the Federal Tax Credit Program. Our spirit of leadership, service, socioeconomics and ethnic diversity are our biggest strengths, helping our students learn to work together, to appreciate different viewpoints, and to recognize the dignity in every person is key.(Attachment 6)
Chuck Weber, Executive Director, Kansas Catholic Conference, stated that if this bill becomes law, it will be a significant step forward in the educational opportunities that can be made available for students from both public and non-public schools. The Catholic Church has long held that parents are the first and best educators of their children. This does not mean parents must personally educate their child, but it does mean they should be afforded as many options and pathways as possible toward that end.(Attachment 7)
Proponent Written:
Vincent Anch, Catholic Education Foundation (Attachment 8)
Shelley Buhler, President, Hayden Catholic High School (Attachment 9)
Trina Delgado, Superintendent, Catholic Diocese of Dodge City School Office (Attachment 10)
Jay Dunlap, President, Bishop Ward Catholic High School (Attachment 11)
Claudia Fury-Aguirre, Manager of Kansas Policy and Outreach, Aligned (Attachment 12)
Brittany Jones, President, Kansas Family Voice (Attachment 13)
AJ Khule, President, ACE Scholarships (Attachment 14)
Shannon Pahls, Public Affairs Director (Attachment 15)
Relynn Reynoso, Principal, Holy Family Catholic School (Attachment 16)
Tanner Tempel, Deputy State Director, Americans for Prosperity (Attachment 17)
Matthew Vettel, Support for Catholic Schools, Inc. (Attachment 18)
Discussion followed.
No neutral testimony was submitted.
Opponent:
Leah Fliter, Assistant Executive Director of Advocacy, Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), opposes this bill as KASB has long maintained, both in policy and annual legislative priorities, that public funds must remain dedicated to public schools. Strong healthy public schools help attract businesses to urban areas and remain the largest employers and community anchors in rural communities. A concern regarding this bill is that neither the federal statute nor any available US Treasury guidance definitively states who in each state has the legal authority to opt-in. The law simply requires the "state" to submit its list of SGO's, without specifying whether that authority lies solely with the Governor, solely with the U.S. Legislature, or must be jointly exercised. Tax credits, state or federal, are a form of public spending. They reduce government revenue and therefore reduce the dollars available to fund core public responsibilities, including education. (Attachment 19)
Timothy R. Graham, Director of Government Relations and Legislative Affairs, Kansas National Education Association (KNEA), said KNEA's opposition to voucher and voucher-adjacent programs is long-standing and rooted in fundamental public policy concerns. Programs that use public tax policy to subsidize private education, whether through direct appropriations, state tax credits - divert public resources away from the public education system that is required to serve all students. Concerns regarding this bill include loss of state control, unclear accountability and oversight, expansion beyond original intent, long-term fiscal uncertainty. (Attachment 20)
Jim Karleskint, United School Administrators, opposes this bill for the following reasons:
- Shifts public funds to private school scholarships
- No accountability
- Does not ensure equitable access for students with disabilities, etc.
- No guarantee to support low-income students
- Commits Kansas to a federal program with uncertain future rules
- Before expanding tax credit programs, Kansas should invest in schools that serve all students (Attachment 21)
Ann E. Mah, Retiree, asked where are the numbers that show how the original tax credit program worked? Or that scholarship students do better academically in private schools. Where is the oversight? How accessible is the school to a struggling student? This program is paid for by regular taxpayers. School vouchers have not passed a statewide popular vote. Let the public vote on whether Kansas should enter the federal program and see how that goes. (Attachment 22)
Cathy Hopkins and Beryl New, Legislative Liaisons, Kansas State Board of Education, stated that the State Board voted to prioritize only using public funds for public schools in the Board's 2026 Legislative Priorities. This bill is counter to this priority by providing funding that would otherwise be available for public schools to families that choose to enroll their children in private schools. Based on the November Consensus estimates, the State of Kansas is currently out spending its revenues. (Attachment 23)
Mary Sinclair, PhD, Kansas PTA, Advocacy Team on behalf of Vikki Mullins, Kansas PTA President said school choice is not parent choice and eligibility under the Kansas Tax Credit Scholarship (TAC) Program has not equaled access. Issues listed in testimony include tax avoidance vs tax deduction, cost prohibitive precedence with no oversight, no Kansas evidence to warrant expansion. (Attachment 24)
Erin Woods, Kansas Citizen, on behalf of Game On Kansas, said Kansas should not opt in to the federal program and the Kansas Tax Credit Scholarship Program should not be expanded. (Attachment 25)
Opponent Written:
Testimony bundled A-W. (Attachment 26)
Discussion followed.
Chairman Erickson closed the hearing on HB 2468.
Chairman Erickson adjourned the meeting at 2:22 pm.
The next meeting will be held February 25, 2026, at 1:30 pm in Room 144-S.