LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Forum hosted a debate Wednesday on the constitutional amendment facing Kentucky voters in November: Should public tax money go toward private education?

With no election for statewide office on Kentucky’s ballot this November, school choice looms as the most hotly debated state issue during the fall campaign if the proposed amendment reaches the ballot. If ratified by voters, the proposal would give future legislatures the option to "provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools″ — a reference to public schools.

For instance, it would remove constitutional barriers that have blocked the state from assisting parents who want to enroll their children in private or charter schools.

The language that will appear on the ballot in November is below:

If passed the following section would be added to the state constitution:

During Wednesday's debate in downtown Louisville, Jim Waters with the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions argued for expanding school choices with public dollars like charter schools or vouchers. While Amendment 2 does not implement school vouchers or charters, it could later down the line.

"I'm for more freedom, education and freedom for parents," Waters said. "That's really what educational choice and freedom is all about is helping parents who need that help."

Jefferson County Teacher's Association President Maddie Shepard argued against the amendment and repeated her hesitation with the open door format.

"This amendment also is essentially a blank check. There is no proposed system that politicians in Frankfort have put before us," she said.

The political fight over school choice has been waged for years in Kentucky, and bills promoting charter schools and private school-related tax credits were among the most contentious faced by Kentucky lawmakers in recent years, splintering Republican supermajorities. Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed those school-choice measures, but enough GOP lawmakers voted to override his action.

December 2022, Kentucky’s Supreme Court struck down a state law, House Bill 563, that allowed donors to receive tax credits for supporting private school tuition. In its unanimous decision, the high court said the 2021 measure violated the state's constitution as the justices upheld a lower court ruling.

Courts in Kentucky have ruled that public tax dollars must be spent on the state’s "common" schools and cannot be diverted to charter or private schools. School choice advocates are hoping to surmount those legal hurdles by getting the school choice bill ratified on the fall ballot.

Last year, a circuit court judge rejected another measure to set up a funding method for charter schools. The decision stymied efforts to give such schools a foothold in the Bluegrass State. Those schools would be operated by independent groups with fewer regulations than most public schools.

Shepard also criticized lawmakers for historically underfunding education and mishandling pensions.

"Not all of that money goes directly to schools or directly to teachers or directly to students because it's being used to pay off a debt that should have never been created," Shepard said.

While Waters said education is one of biggest recipients of state dollars.

"I just don't think that the resources are the problem. And I guess the question is, if it is the problem, how much is enough," Waters said.

He also touted well-performing test scores of charter schools in other states, Shepard said there's no comparison, because they aren't the same test.

"We don't have charter schools, and making this comparison — again, that doesn't exist in Kentucky — is like comparing apples to kumquats," she said.

Regardless, Waters said additional competition would be good for school districts.

"We know from other states that offering parents choice has created an appropriate kind of pressure on the public education system to change," Waters said.

Shepard said taking more resources from school districts like JCPS, would only cause more hurt.

"The truth is that this amendment threatens to take critical resources away from schools," Shepard said.

Kentucky Voters will see Amendment 2 on the ballot in November.

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