COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio legislator proposed withholding state funding for over 300 school districts involved in legal action against the state’s school voucher program.
Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) introduced House Bill 671 to combat school districts involved in a years-long legal battle over the state’s taxpayer-funded school voucher system, EdChoice. If passed, the bill would withhold state funding for over half of Ohio’s public school districts, most of which already feel the state is underfunding public schools.
EdChoice and its partner program, EdChoice-Exp, offer state-funded scholarships for families to attend private schools of their choice. The program has no income limits, so any family can receive at least a partial scholarship regardless of financial need. See previous coverage of the EdChoice program in the video player above.
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The state allocated $1.1 billion to state voucher programs in the 2024-2025 school year, 71% of which was paid to EdChoice and EdChoice-Exp. Proponents say it offers families control and opportunities in their students’ education, but opponents say it unjustly takes funding from public schools…