129th General Assembly SCHOOL CHOICE LEGISLATION-OPPOSE
H.B. 136 – school choice legislation that would expand vouchers statewide! It creates the Parental Choice and Taxpayer Savings Scholarship (voucher) Program (PACT), a new statewide program allowing K-12 students to use a voucher to attend private schools.
Letter from Ohio NOW President, Jackie Hillyer
To: Rep. Casey Kowzlowski,
As you know, the Ohio School Boards Association is strongly opposed to H.B. 136 School Choice, legislation that the Ohio House of Representative is currently considering. H.B. 136 would significantly expand the availability of vouchers for students to attend private or parochial schools. This legislation would grant access to any public school student in Ohio to request and be granted a voucher, subject only to a family income standard of $95,000 or less.
Such vouchers would be granted without regard to the academic performance of the public school that the student is assigned to attend. The bill provides that students already enrolled in private or parochial schools would be eligible for such vouchers. Students receiving vouchers would be able to retain any excess funds in those instances where the cost of tuition is less than the value of the voucher for use in any private school or college in Ohio.
The operation of the proposed program would take dollars directly from the already financially strained local public school districts resulting in fewer resources for the education of the remaining students.
Districts in Ashtabula County, including the Buckeye Local School District will experience a negative financial impact if H.B. 136 School Choice is passed. Public schools oppose any legislation that seeks to transfer public dollars to support private education.
Please oppose H.B. 136 and any legislation that has the effect of financially draining public schools.
Sincerely,
Jackie Hillyer
Buckeye Board of Education
Vice President and Legislative Liaison
