OMAHA, Ne. (KMTV) — On Friday Governor Ricketts spoke on a panel hosted by Invest in Kids Nebraska to advocate for school choice in the state. Ricketts said low-income families shouldn't be limited on their options when it comes to the best education for their kids.
"We have many great public and private schools here in the state of Nebraska. In fact, I’m a product of public education. But as a parent I also know that not all kids learn the same that you have to have different environments for some children and that it shouldn’t matter what your zip code is to determine if you get that choice in education," Ricketts said.
Invest in Kids Nebraska is a proponent of tax credit scholarships for families who may not be able to afford tuition of a private school. Advocates say funds shouldn't hold children back from quality education and parents choice to decide what environment their child will flourish in.
Opponents of school choice say it ultimately takes money away from public schools. We spoke with Renee Fry, executive director of OpenSky Policy, earlier this year and she says the money spent on tax credits should instead be going to public schools.
"Honestly if we really want to help low income kids, I would recommend that we be spending more in public schools to help those 325,000 students and really spend more where there's concentrated poverty," Fry said.
Still advocates say no child should be left behind and parents should be empowered to choose.
