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Marion Star: Bill would expand OH voucher system

Written by Seth Roy
Marion Star
October 3, 2011

A bill that would allow wider access to vouchers covering private school tuition is closer to becoming law, though many questions still need to be addressed, officials said.

The bill is also facing competition from public school officials who state it takes public dollars away from their districts.

Ohio House Bill 136 was approved by the House’s Education Committee last month, Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, said. It would expand the state’s private school voucher program to any student in any district whose family makes less than $95,000.

“This is a very significant public policy issue,” said Hottinger, a co-signer of the bill. “The decision … will potentially have a lot of consequences and a lot of ramifications.”

The state’s EdChoice program – an extension of a Cleveland voucher system – now allows students from low-income families in academically poor districts to apply for a voucher that covers tuition at a private school.

The new bill, which hasn’t yet been scheduled for a floor vote in front of the entire House, would create the Parental Choice and Taxpayer Savings Scholarship Program.

It would significantly widen the scope of the voucher program and, district leaders say, could have a detrimental financial impact.

School districts whose students use the vouchers would see $5,783 taken from their state aid per student. The students would then qualify for varying amounts in scholarships based on family income.

Local reaction

District officials say it takes too much money away from public districts – and students can already opt to attend community or online schools at no cost to them.

Superintendents at all of Marion County’s five public school districts, while saying they support competition, disagreed with using public dollars to educate students in private schools.

“I support educational choice in Ohio, but I do not feel that local tax dollars should be used to educate students in private schools or private charter schools,” River Valley Local Schools Superintendent Tom Shade said. “I do not think state and local tax dollars should be used to subsidize private school tuition, even when public options are available.”

Ridgedale Local Schools Superintendent Bob Britton said only a portion of the $5,783 comes from the state. In Ridgedale’s case, $3,213 of that would be equal to what the state gives Ridgedale per student. The remaining $2,525 would come from local tax money that would follow the student.

“I do not believe that our local community members would like to see their local tax dollars flowing out of the district to private or charter schools,” Britton said.

Pleasant Local Schools Interim Superintendent John Bruno said every dollar a public school district loses when a student enrolls in a for-profit educational institution “causes not only a financial strain on the district’s budget, but also places a heavier tax burden on their public.”

“Local monies need to stay in the district,” Elgin Local Schools Superintendent Bruce Gast said.

Bruno also said such legislation should “level the playing field” by mandating that all schools are subjected to the same rules, regulations and standards as public schools must abide by.

“The bottom line is ‘competition,'” Marion City Schools Superintendent James Barney said. “I do not have a problem with competition. The competition should be scoring as well or better as the public school.”

Barney said community and private schools also do not have to worry about passing levies, which means they are not on the same playing field.

Locally the current EdChoice program gives students in low-income families attending low-performing schools the chance to go to St. Mary Grade School with EdChoice funds paying the tuition.

St. Mary Principal Bob Rush said the proposed legislation is similar to open enrollment, which enables students in public school districts to enroll in districts other than their home district.

“Parents get a choice,” he said.

Rush said private schools may offer better activities or academics than students’ home schools and supported the competition.

Students who attend St. Mary through EdChoice take the Ohio Achievement Tests taken by public school children while other students take the standardized TerraNova standardized achievement tests. He said students score above the state averages but added the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, which oversees the area’s Catholic schools, does not allow schools to publicize the results.

Changes likely

The bill is still early in its overall process, and could change before it is signed into law – if it ever is. Hottinger said the question that needs to be asked is what is most beneficial for individual students.

“Are there options to be able to meet the needs of students … without significantly impacting our obligations to the public school system?” he said. “I don’t want to strengthen one system at the expense of the other.”

Before the bill is brought to a full vote, legislators need to talk with various stake-holders from public and private districts, Hottinger said.

And changes will likely need to be made to the bill before it will be approved.

“Most people believe that there’s going to have to be some changes that need to be made before it’s ready for a vote,” he said. “We really need to make certain that we all understand what’s happening.”