Latest news with #Kaeser
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Connecticut River Museum in Essex examines the history of flooding along the river
ESSEX, Conn. (WTNH) — A new exhibit opens today at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex. It is called 'Rising Waters,' and it takes a look at the history of flooding along the river, with an emphasis on what can be done to deal with more floods in the future. It turns out the Connecticut River was created by flooding thousands of years ago when northern Connecticut was a giant glacial lake. DEEP estimates 300,000 gallons of sewage spilling into Connecticut River daily after sewer line break 'Eventually, it overran its banks and began flowing south from today what is about Rocky Hill down towards what we now call Long Island Sound,' Elizabeth Kaeser, the Executive Director of the Connecticut River Museum, explained. The exhibit on the museum's top floor includes many photos of the damage from floods in 1936 and 1938. 'Their damage was extreme. The cost was horrible,' Kaeser said. 'Lives were lost. Structures were lost.' The flooding is largely a natural event, but mankind has had an impact on the Connecticut River and how it floods, especially in the last 100 years. The 1936 flood put much of Hartford underwater, so leaders decided to make some changes, building levies and burying the Park River underground. Floods still impact communities on the Connecticut River, however. We saw that two years ago when rare summer floods devastated many farms. Now, people are looking at more natural ways to control the water. 'Are there ways that we can have less impervious surfaces near our rivers to help the ground take up more of the work of holding the water?' Kaeser asked. The exhibit runs until August 3rd, and the museum hopes to get people talking about floods. 'To bring people together to start to have some of those conversations,' said Kaeser. 'To plant some seeds and to think about where do we go from here?' The museum building itself was inundated with water back in the 1930s, and the question is, with water levels rising globally, how can we keep that from happening again? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Data shows education vouchers exclude Ohio's rural counties
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — As Ohio lawmakers are considering increasing funds for school vouchers, state data shows the education voucher programs largely underserve rural counties. As they set Ohio's biennial budget, lawmakers are weighing how to fund public schools and the EdChoice voucher program, which provides state-funded scholarships to attend private schools. In the last budget cycle, the General Assembly expanded EdChoice so that any student, regardless of income, could be eligible for at least a partial voucher. Now state data shows location, rather than income, is the largest barrier to voucher participation. All but five of Ohio's 88 counties are more than 50% rural, and more than 50 counties have a rural area that covers more than 95% of their area. NBC4 analyzed the state's list of nonpublic schools that accept EdChoice vouchers and found rural counties have few opportunities to opt into the EdChoice program. See previous coverage of Ohio's vouchers in the video player above. Ten Ohio counties have no voucher-eligible schools whatsoever, and 70% of counties have fewer than five voucher schools. These numbers account for all schools regardless of grade level, so counties may only be able to attend EdChoice-applicable schools for some grade levels. Susan Kaeser, testifying regarding Ohio's budget on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, researched public school education in Ohio. She found between 90%-100% of students in 75 of Ohio's counties attend public school, including all but two counties with fewer than 10,000 public school children. 'The distribution of nonpublic schools in Ohio today confirms that they were right,' Kaeser said. 'Public schools are the only education that is universally accessible.' Ohio lawmakers ponder if this is the right effort for property tax relief Voucher advocates say the lack of access in rural counties should lead to voucher increases, not decreases. 'If there are gaps in places where education alternatives are not present, the state should embrace policies to increase supply,' Donovan O'Neil, state director for Ohio's branch of Americans For Prosperity, said. 'There is a lack of supply of schools that accept these dollars, especially in rural communities. Maybe the numbers aren't capturing lower-income families in rural areas simply because the option is not available.' Kaeser found 47 counties have more than 95% of students attending public school. She said private and charter schools are concentrated between just six counties. NBC4 found 54% of all 610 voucher-eligible schools are located in those six counties: Franklin, Cuyahoga, Lucas, Summit, Montgomery and Hamilton. The Ohio House released its version of the state budget on Tuesday for Senate consideration, and public school districts say it will drastically cut their funding while raising appropriations for the EdChoice program. Democrats and education groups condemned the House's budget draft. 'While Rep. Stewart claims that the state can't afford full and fair school funding, the House budget proposal would direct more public dollars toward a new voucher for non-chartered, private schools which follow practically no state guidelines on student safety or academics,' the All in for Ohio Kids Coalition said about the House's budget. However, school choice advocates said this budget will support parent choice in education through the voucher system. The budget now enters Senate committee hearings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio has near-universal school vouchers, but 10 counties have no private schools
(Stock photo by) Despite the expansion of near-universal school vouchers in Ohio, students in some counties don't have the option to attend a private school. Ten of Ohio's 88 counties have no private schools during the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. 'There are a lot of rural areas in the state that do not have many options,' said Ohio Federation of Teacher President Melissa Cropper. 'Students in those areas really don't have access to these vouchers.' Carroll, Champaign, Hardin, Harrison, Holmes, Meigs, Morgan, Noble, Preble and Vinton counties had zero private schools during the 2025 fiscal year. Many Appalachian counties have only one or two private schools, according to ODEW data. 'To say that we have universal vouchers, that every family can take advantage of a voucher, is actually a fallacy,' Cropper said. 'A lot of these counties don't have options, or have very few options, yet they're still being impacted by money going to vouchers, so it has a disproportionate impact on rural areas.' About 90% of Ohio students attended public school during the 2023-24 school year, according to ODEW. 'Public education is the education that serves the majority of people in most of, particularly in the rural parts, of the state and Appalachia,' said Susie Kaeser, education specialist at League of Women Voters Ohio. The 2023 state budget expanded school vouchers eligibility to 450% of the poverty line — meaning a family of four above the $135,000 income threshold can still be eligible for at least 10% of the maximum scholarship. Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school scholarship programs for the 2024 fiscal year, the first full year with near-universal school vouchers. There are about 720 private schools in Ohio for the 2025 fiscal year, according to ODEW. Most of the state's private schools are concreted in Cuyahoga (125), Hamilton (94), Franklin (88), Summit (40), Montgomery (33) and Lucas (32). 'It's a double hit to rural communities when kids leave a public school because they take that money with them, but the cost of education in that school doesn't change,' Kaeser said. Population density and lack of interest are two reasons why these counties may lack private schools, Kaeser said. 'You have to have enough people to make it worthwhile to create an alternative school,' she said. 'There would be more private schools in rural Ohio if there were demand. People may just be content with what they have.' The governor's version of the state budget for the next two years would decrease funding for traditional public schools by 0.9%, according to a workgroup analysis. Voucher programs including the EdChoise private school program would see a 15.8% increase. The Ohio House is currently reviewing the budget and local public school leaders recently testified on how full state funding is critical to their districts. 'We keep putting off funding our public schools, but that's who's being hurt, the people who rely exclusively on public education,' Kaeser said. If public schools receive less funding, schools could cut the number of teachers they have or offer fewer courses, Cropper said. 'It impacts pretty much the daily life of the student,' she said. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
