Advocacy Alert: Action Needed on EdChoice Vouchers!

Source: Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

Advocacy Alert: Action Needed on EdChoice Vouchers!

Increases in EdChoice voucher deductions from school districts' payments, policy changes in the recent biennial budget bill (H.B. 166), along with other factors/policies implemented over the past decade, have come together to create a devastating result for public education. A steering committee made up of members of BASA, OASBO, and OSBA has met to come up with a short-term list that can be proposed for immediate action in the Ohio General Assembly.  

Click here for the short-term list.

Now is the time for advocacy to create a sense of urgency among lawmakers. Contact your legislators today and urge them to support these short-term legislative changes. Also, share with them how increases in the number of EdChoice vouchers are affecting your district. Your action is needed immediately because the legislature's time in session will be limited in the coming weeks. The steering committee is hopeful changes can provide relief for school districts yet this school year.

Need help finding contact information for your legislators? Click here to use the Ohio General Assembly website.

https://www.votervoice.net/OHPTA/campaigns/70339/respond

OHIO PTA POSITION STATEMENT OPPOSING THE STATE OF OHIO EdCHOICE SCHOLARSHIP (VOUCHER) PROGRAM

Please share with Ohio elected officials, PTA units, councils, school boards, on social media, parents, guardians, and other stakeholders.

Position Statement PDF

Many school districts in Ohio are facing a funding crisis due to unfunded private school voucher deductions. For those districts, this budget shortfall means larger classes, older textbooks and technology, and fewer school counselors and nurses. OFT now has a five point plan we are asking the legislature to adopt immediately to assist the school districts that have been most affected by these policies.

Contact your legislators today and demand immediate action to alleviate this crisis, while we also keep an eye on permanent long-term solutions to keep public education funds in public schools.  

We are urging the legislature to take the following five steps:

1. Remove the budget language in HB 166 that expanded vouchers for more grades, and restore voucher language to pre-budget language.
2. Limit voucher eligibility to buildings that qualified based on report cards in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Stop the practice of looking back at older report cards for expanded eligibility.
3. Use the Expansion (income) vouchers as the funding default instead of the EdChoice voucher, to limit unfunded voucher deductions from district funds.
4. Restore funding for school districts that have lost funds to voucher students who were not part of their 2019 enrollment.
5. Cap the loss of funds for high poverty districts at 5% and other school districts at 10%.

These actions will not permanently fix the vouchers problem in Ohio, however they will provide immediate and significant assistance to the students, parents, and teachers in school districts that have been most impacted by the legislature's reckless voucher expansion.

Please contact your legislators today, and then forward this email to your friends and family and make sure they take action as well.

While your school district or workplace may not be affected by this policy, we need you to add your voice in support of your union sisters and brothers, the students they educate, and the communities they serve.

In Solidarity,

Melissa Cropper, President

Ohio Federation of Teachers