Quick facts
The Ohio legislature broadened the income-based EdChoice Expansion program in its recent biennial budget.
Families earning up to 450 percent of the federal poverty level will qualify for the full scholarship amount.
Families earning more will still receive scholarships on a sliding scale based on income.
School choice advocates say the change gives families more options and eliminates financial barriers to private education. Opponents argue it will harm public schools by diverting funding while holding public education to a higher standard.
COLUMBUS — It will soon be more affordable than ever to send a child to a private school in Ohio.
Starting this fall, all Ohio families will be able eligible for public funds to use toward private school tuition, regardless of their income or where they live.
The Ohio legislature broadened the state’s EdChoice Expansion program in its latest biennial budget, which governs state expenditures for the next two years. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the budget on July 3.
The move has been heralded by school choice advocates and private educators, who argue it provides families more freedom to select the school that meets their child’s needs.
Cy Smith, superintendent of Mansfield Christian School, called it a major victory for Ohio families.
“After decades of lobbying, every student in Ohio will be eligible for a scholarship to attend the school of their choice,” Smith said.
“Parents know what is best for their children and are ultimately responsible for the training their children receive. By expanding the voucher program to include every child, parents will now have real access to an education that is the best fit for their child and family.”
Critics of the decision, including public education associations like the Ohio Education Association and Ohio Federation of Teachers, say the expansion of the EdChoice program will harm public schools and their students.
Renda Cline, president of the Mansfield City Schools board of education and a member of the Ohio School Boards Association board of trustees, called the expansion an assault on public education.
“It’s very upsetting to me to see as a public official that our public education dollars are being taken and put into private institutions,” Cline said.
“All children deserve a fair, public education system. They deserve that and we owe that to the next generation to protect that for all students, not just some. They all deserve high quality education.”
What is EdChoice?
EdChoice scholarships allow families to use public funds for private school tuition. The two largest EdChoice programs in Ohio are the Traditional EdChoice and EdChoice Expansion program.
The new budget bill broadens Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion program, which is based on family income. It does not impact eligibility or award amounts for the Traditional EdChoice scholarship program, which is only available to families in certain low performing schools.
What did the budget bill change about EdChoice scholarships?
Prior to the new budget bill, students whose family income was at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FLP) could receive an EdChoice Expansion scholarship regardless of where they lived.
That’s $75,000 annually for a family of four.
The budget expands eligibility for a full EdChoice Expansion to families earning less than 450 percent of the FPL. That’s $135,000 for a family of four.
The full scholarship amount is $6,165 for a K-8 student and $8,407 for a 9-12 student.
Families earning 450 percent of the FPL or more will receive partial amounts on a sliding income scale. Families earning 785 percent or more of the FPL will receive the minimum amount — more than $600 for kindergarten through 8th grade students and $800 for ninth through 12th grade students.
Local private school administrators say new guidelines will eliminate financial barriers that made private school inaccessible for some families. It will also help families whose children already attend private school.
“While non-public schools like St. Peter’s may benefit from this legislation, the purpose of the bill is to empower families of all income levels, giving them a true choice in educating their families,” said Laurie McKeon, head of school at St. Peter’s.
“You’re not excluded because of your economic situation. I think there’s something really like American Dream-ish about that.”
Cline argued the state should fully fund public education before sending public funds to private schools.
“If you choose to go to a private institution, that is your choice and you should have to pay for that,” she said.
“There’s nothing wrong with the federal government funding parochial schools and private education, but fully fund public education,” she added. “Don’t take away from public schools. Take care of what we have first.”
Ohio is currently in the process of phasing in the Fair School Funding Plan, a funding formula that school officials say fixes the unconstitutionality of how Ohio public school districts are funded.
Wait, Ohio’s school funding is unconstitutional?
Ohio has a long history of complex and inadequate school funding. The state Supreme Court ruled three times in the 1990s that the way Ohio funds public education is unconstitutional. Justices ruled school funding relied too much on the local tax base, making it more difficult for poorer districts collect enough revenue.
Efforts to address these inadequacies floundered until 2021, when the state legislature included a new formula known as the “Fair School Funding Plan” into its biennium budget. Public education advocates and school districts praised the plan as a solution, but it’s still being phased in.
During this budget cycle, schools will receive 50 percent of their state share according to the formula during the 2023-2024 school year and 67 percent during the 2024-2025 school year.
How does EdChoice impact public schools?
Local tax revenue and state foundation payments are the two primary funding sources for Ohio’s public school districts.
Each district’s state funding is determined by a formula, which includes factors like average median income, property values and student enrollment.
So when a student attends a private school using an EdChoice voucher, their local public school district receives less state funding.
“It does divert funds from public schools. This places a strain on our revenue which impacts the resources that we can provide to our staff and our students and the educational experience that we can offer,” said Supt. Stan Jefferson of Mansfield City Schools.
While a district may not feel much of a financial impact when one or two students depart, Jefferson said large-scale declines in enrollment lead to schools trying to do more with less.
“It means having maybe one less program, maybe one less building, because then you’re going to start consolidating,” he said.
“When I came to the Mansfield City Schools, we had three junior highs, two high schools and 13 elementaries.”
Smith and McKeon argue it’s fair for state funds go to the school a child attends, even if it is private.
“It just makes sense that taxpayer money needed to educate children should follow the child,” Smith said. “The costs to educate each child should go to the school where the child actually attends — and this program allows for that to happen.”
A public school district’s local tax revenue, which is not tied to student enrollment, remains in that district. Private schools argue this means they’re actually educating children for less.
On the other hand, private schools can pick and choose which students get to attend. Public schools can’t turn down children with special needs, behavioral problems or certain religious beliefs.
McKeon acknowledged this reality, saying St. Peter’s isn’t a good fit for everyone.
“We’re faith-based. We’re a really tight community. We hold our students to a little bit higher standard,” she said.
“We don’t have the strong special education and behavioral support that our city schools have. Honestly, public schools do a phenomenal job at a whole lot of things. There are some things we just don’t have the capacity to do.”
Madison Supt. Rob Peterson said its difficult to know just how much the new EdChoice guidelines will impact the district’s finances.
“With the quality of education and extracurricular programs that we provide to our students, I don’t anticipate a mass exodus of students leaving Madison to attend non-public schools,” he said.
Peterson said he understands the benefit of giving families the opportunity to choose where their children will be educated, but worries about the fiscal impact for public schools.
“My concern is that state funding down the road may be reduced for public schools like Madison as a result of those funds being funneled into future versions of EdChoice,” he said.
“If those state funds are reduced, the burden to fund our schools is shifted and becomes even greater on our local taxpayers.”
He also pointed out that private schools aren’t beholden to state and federal guidelines in the same way public schools are.
“Based on the education that we provide for the children of Madison, I am certainly not opposed to competing with other schools for students and the state funding that goes along with them,” he said.
“But, in all fairness, I believe it would also be appropriate for the state to hold all schools, public and non-public, to the same academic and fiscal standards, oversight, and accountability levels. Unfortunately, that is not the case currently.”
Supt. Keith Strickler said he doesn’t think the EdChoice expansion will have much of an impact on Ontario, since the district offers open enrollment and typically has a waitlist.
“We’re really blessed in that aspect where we do have so many students that apply to come here every year,” he said.
Public charter schools are tuition free so vouchers aren’t needed or accepted. This article does not explain the difference between public and private charter schools and thus presents an extremely poor interpretation that leads to misunderstanding. This needs correction.