Non-public school parents, teachers, administrators and students are being urged this fall to invite a lawmaker to tour their school.
“Kentucky lawmakers need to get to know their local non-public schools,” said an announcement from the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. “The goal is to ensure that they understand the good work that your school does in the community and the families that you serve.”
The conference is part of the EdChoice KY coalition that aims to help needy families choose the school that best suits their needs, including Catholic schools.
The effort centers on providing tax credits for donations made to scholarship-granting organizations, such as the Catholic Education Foundation. Bipartisan legislation to establish scholarship tax credits has failed to pass the Kentucky legislature in recent years. Such legislation is expected to be introduced again in the 2020 General Assembly.
Leisa Schulz, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Louisville, noted that Catholic schools have been part of the communnity in Kentucky for more than 200 years. Lawmakers frequently visit schools for special occasions and students often visit lawmakers locally and in Frankort as part of their curriculum, she noted.
“It is important to nuture those relationships,” Schulz said. “Catholic schools are excellent resources in our communities in central Kentucky, and we want to ensure that stakeholders within the communities are aware of the gifts the schools provide to the community,” said Schulz.
She added that Catholic schools might choose to invite lawmakers to visit the week of Nov. 19, when Archdiocese of Louisville schools will celebrate “Discover Catholic Schools Week.”
