Ohio’s growing EdChoice voucher program threatens to undermine the system of public education in Ohio. The voucher program uses report card data, which is terribly flawed, to identify “failing” schools and then requires those districts to divert valuable funds, funds raised locally, to subsidize the cost of private school tuition for students.
Because of the flawed system used to “grade” public schools, and the recently revised definition of a “failing school,” based on that flawed report card system, next school year more than 70% of Ohio’s school districts will have one or more EdChoice-eligible buildings.
Vouchers cost $4,650 for K-8 students and $6,000 each year for high school students, taking money from the public schools to pay for private and parochial tuition.These costs total more than the state gives public school districts to educate the same child at their school of residence.
Public school districts have many requirements, standards, and measures of accountability they are required to meet, unlike private schools
Taxpayers who approve levies expect that their tax dollars will go to the public school in which they live, and certainly don’t intend for their tax dollars to go to private schools that may or may not even be in the community where they live.
We, the superintendents of schools in Hardin County, urge citizens to reach out to their state legislators and tell them to stop draining funds from public school budgets to send to private and parochial schools.
Meri Skilliter, Ada schools.
Sally Henrick, Ridgemont schools
Jeff Price, Hardin Northern
Craig Hurley, Uppper Scioto Valley
Jennifer Penczarski, Kenton
Scott Howell, Midwest Regional
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