Mandi Bishop

I went to public school. My mother and sister teach in public schools. Both my children go to public schools. I know firsthand the difference a well-supported public school makes - not just for individual students, but for entire communities. That’s why oppose this bill. When students leave a district, funding follows them. But the fixed costs don’t. Buildings, teachers, and services for the students who remain don’t shrink with enrollment. Under-resourced schools absorb that loss, and the students least able to navigate an open enrollment system - lower-income families, students with disabilities, rural communities - are the ones left behind. Rather than policies that pull funding away from neighborhood schools, we should be investing in them. We should be building a culture of community commitment to public education - encouraging families to engage, advocate, and work together to make their local schools stronger. That is how we lift all students, not just the ones with the resources to choose something else. It will encourage better education - not only in typical studies, math, science, eg. , but also give lessons in how to be better people and supporters of their community. I urge you to vote no on this bill. Thank you.