Topeka — A Johnson County senator who has been active on the school voucher front is contemplating taking her actions to a new level.
Sen. Kay O'Connor said she has been patiently waiting for movement on bills in the House and Senate Education committees to issue vouchers for a limited number of students then have a researcher study their progress.
O'Connor, R-Overland Park, said she was concerned the issue was being ignored.
"I have no recourse than to become more aggressive than I have been for the past few years," she said, although she declined to say what action she might take.
In general, vouchers allow parents to decide where their children attend school.
The proposed measures would give parents a voucher for $3,820 the base amount that school districts receive per student that they could use to put their children in a public, private or parochial school.
O'Connor said the bill is about competition in education and giving parents a choice for a better education for their children.
House Education Chairman Ralph Tanner said the committee had hearings on the bill earlier this year. However, he said there is not enough time or votes to get the bill out of committee before the end of the session.
The bill would study whether school choice with the use of a voucher has any impact on the academic success of students in three elementary grade levels. The bill doesn't specify the grades.
Tanner, R-Baldwin, said a problem with vouchers is the conflict with the establishment clause in the First Amendment to the Constitution regarding the use of public funds for parochial schools.
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