House Democrats are voicing their opposition to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration's decision to withhold $3.4 million in state funding from Nashville because of a disputed charter school application. The lawmakers at a news conference outside the legislative office complex in Nashville on Tuesday afternoon argued that Haslam's decision was unfair to students at city schools.
The state Department of Education is withholding $3.4 million in funding from the public school system in Nashville over a rejected charter school. The Metro Nashville school board last week defied an order by the state Board of Education to approve the application from Phoenix-based Great Hearts Academies.
When the current Kentucky legislative session ends this week, many issues will be left on the table for the future including the issue of charter schools. Kentucky is among just nine states without charters and the push to change that has been polarizing in Frankfort.
