28-02-2025
Ohio bill would create savings accounts for students attending private religious schools
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Senate bill would distribute public funds to families wanting to attend private religious schools that currently do not qualify for Ohio's voucher program.
Senate Bill 68 would establish the Nonchartered Educational Savings Account Program, a government-funded initiative for families attending nonpublic, noncharter (NPNC) schools. Proponents say it will empower families to get equal access to schooling, and opponents say S.B. 68 is a legislative overreach that would divert funds from public schools.
NPNC schools are schools that have not sought a state charter designation, typically for religious reasons. In doing so, these schools do not have to subscribe to state operating standards but are also not eligible for Ohio's voucher system.
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Ohio offers five vouchers or state-sponsored scholarships for students to attend private or charter schools. These initially were geared toward students who could not afford private school, but the program expanded in 2023 to allow any student, regardless of income, to receive at least a partial scholarship. See previous coverage of Ohio's vouchers in the video player above.
Sponsored by Sen. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), S.B. 68 would have the state treasurer establish an educational savings account for each participating NPNC student. These accounts could then be used to cover educational costs such as tuition or supplies. The program would begin in the 2026-2027 school year, and the funds would be equal to the state's average base cost per pupil, with families above 450% of the federal poverty guidelines receiving adjusted amounts.
'The best way to achieve the outcome that we all want, which are students who are flourishing and succeeding, is to put the parents in charge that education opportunity. They know what's best, and they're going to align their kid into the classroom, into that teacher environment that's going to best meet that student's needs,' Donovan O'Neil, director of Americans for Prosperity in Ohio, said.
O'Neil testified at S.B. 68's second hearing, which took place Feb. 25, and believes the legislation would even the educational playing field in Ohio. The oldest of nine, O'Neil said he and his siblings had different educational paths based on what worked for them, so school choice has always been involved when he thinks of education.
Not everyone is convinced. William Phillis, executive director for the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, said S.B. 68 would be another way to divert public funds to private, religious schools. Phillis is behind the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Ohio's voucher programs.
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'These schools that didn't want to have any state regulations agreed not to take any state money,' Phillis said. 'But now this clever device to give money to parents, and then they can give the money to the nonchartered, nonpublic schools, the totally unregulated schools.'
Phillis also said S.B. 68 continues a trend in Ohio by giving public money to private religious institutions, specifically schools. The 100 schools with the highest voucher enrollment last year were all religiously affiliated. In October, a national advocacy group launched an investigation into the state, claiming its one-time payments to private Christian school renovations were unconstitutional.
O'Neil said it wasn't about taxpayer dollars funding religion, it was about giving parents a choice. He said as long as the state is seeing better outcomes, it's worth spending money on. hillis said voucher students often perform worse than their public school counterparts. Ohio data shows voucher students historically performed much worse, but 2023-2024 test scores evened out, with voucher students performing 0.1% higher.
Both those for and against S.B. 68 believe it is important the state properly funds education. For Phillis, that means using public money to adequately fund public schools. He pointed to the nearly $1 billion Ohio spent on private school vouchers last year, most of which went to students who did not have demonstrated financial need. O'Neil believes that means distributing funds to parents to use how they see fit.
Phillis also said NCNP schools have a lack of accountability. He said these private schools would not held accountable for properly spending state funds that same way public schools are. There are several guidelines in place in S.B. 68 to protect state funds, but the bill allows NCNP schools to maintain their autonomy from the state.
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'As a put in the public sector, every dime that a public body spends is audited the state auditor,' Phillis said. 'Now, who audits the private schools? … Who audits the voucher money? Not the state auditor. Who audits Columbus City Schools? The state auditor. Why? Because it's public money. Public money ought to be audited.'
O'Neil agreed it is important to be careful stewards of public dollars. However, as Ohio is already going to allocate significant funding toward K-12 education, he reiterated that it is important to allow parents to have a direct say in how their tax dollars are spent.
'As long as the state is involved in education, as it has a constitutional obligation to do so, what we should be doing and encourage legislators to do is fund programs that empower families,' O'Neil said.
S.B. 68 is requesting $51 million to cover the costs, but its fiscal analysis acknowledges the actual cost would be driven by demand, which is difficult to anticipate. The Senate estimates there are 10,000 students between these 124 schools, with around 80 students per school. Using this estimate, NCNP schools make up just 0.5% of Ohio's K-12 enrollment. The fiscal analysis notes that S.B. 68 could divert funds from public schools, which receive state funding in part based on enrollment.
'What's unique about the nonchartered, nonpublic schools is they're oftentimes very, I would say, a lot smaller than your chartered or traditional public schools. And so they're able to provide a more customized, focused education,' O'Neil said.
Phillis argued instead that these smaller schools contribute to separation. He said paying students to attend small, private institutions along religious and ideological lines would contribute to larger division in Ohio.
S.B. 68 will continue in the Senate Finance committee, which does not have any meetings scheduled for next week as of publication.
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