COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — The EdChoice program saw a major expansion nearly two years ago, and more than $1 billion were distributed to students in just one fiscal year .
The EdChoice program allows public school students to go to a private or charter school, partly or fully on the taxpayers’ dime. The state’s two-year budget , passed in 2023, gave every student the chance to apply for school vouchers, regardless of income. Now, some Ohio lawmakers, like Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), are calling for more transparency.
“We have no accountability or standards for how the money is actually spent,” Russo said. “Is it actually being spent on the education of students? Or is it being spent to increase administrative salaries or buy luxury vehicles? We don’t know. And that’s a huge problem.”
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“Whatever the taxpayers are funding, there should be some sort of accountability to the public,” Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said. “And that’s regardless of what the activity might be.”