Huffman
LIMA — All Ohio children may soon be eligible for private school vouchers, as lawmakers finalize plans to expand access to subsidized scholarships through the state’s biennial budget.
The Republican-controlled Senate’s version of the budget that was adopted Thursday calls for universal access to K-12 vouchers by raising eligibility to families earning up to 450% of the federal poverty level, or $135,000 for a family of four, and offering partial vouchers to families whose incomes exceed that threshold.
Vouchers would likewise increase in value from $7,500 to $8,400 for high schoolers and from $5,500 to $6,100 for elementary and junior high students.
The Senate’s budget goes further than the House version, which extends voucher eligibility to 450% of poverty, by creating a sliding scale so families whose incomes exceed that would be eligible for at least 10% of a voucher.
Lawmakers have until the end of June to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the budget, but whichever version is adopted will likely have support from Gov. Mike DeWine, who called on lawmakers in January to expand the program.
“This would be wonderful for our current families because a lot of them make sacrifices for their kids to come, because they want the Catholic school education,” said Connie Niese, principal for SS. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Ottawa, who said she’s already hearing from families interested in participating in the program.
But SS. Peter and Paul “won’t go out searching for families just to fill spots,” Niese said. “That’s not what we’re about. We’re about getting quality Catholic education for families who want it.”
Ohio’s voucher program, known as the EdChoice Scholarship, started in 1996 with a pilot program in Cleveland that was extended to other school districts the state designated as low performing. Lawmakers have since adopted similar scholarships to subsidize private school tuition for special needs students and families earning up to 250% of poverty, or $75,000 for a family of four.
Lawmakers are now looking to open vouchers to all students, a priority for much of Senate President Matt Huffman’s legislative career.
“Parents know where their children attend school makes a difference,” said Huffman, R-Lima, in a statement this week. “Children should never dread going to class, and parents should always have confidence that their children are walking into a positive, results-focused learning environment.”
The Ohio Education Association issued a statement Friday decrying the anticipated voucher expansion, writing that any expansion of the program “should only be considered once the legislature has fully implemented the Fair School Funding Plan,” which was adopted in the state’s last biennial budget.
The proposed expansion comes amid a lawsuit brought by Lima schools and other public school districts, which argue Ohio’s voucher system violates its obligation to provide a common system of schools.
A Franklin County judge rejected attempts last year by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to dismiss the lawsuit, though a court date has not been set.
Dan Heintz, a board member for Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools, another plaintiff in the lawsuit, described the legislature’s voucher expansion as a “win for the lawsuit” because “it removes the veil of legitimacy.”
“People used to be convinced that vouchers were an opportunity for low-income families to escape failing public schools,” he said. “Families who were using a voucher for the first time were not enrolled in a public school last year. So, they’re not fleeing a failing school. The only thing they’re fleeing is the tuition bill.”
