Ohio’s EdChoice Expansion: Examining the Surge in Private School Vouchers and Its Impact on Public Education

The number of students receiving state-funded scholarships for private schools has surged after Ohio lawmakers expanded the EdChoice-Expansion voucher program by effectively eliminating eligibility requirements related to annual income. The data reflects, however, that most of these students have never attended a public school, undermining the claim—made by some—of a “public school exodus.”

This means that many voucher student families who were already paying for and attending nonpublic schools are now using taxpayer dollars to supplant their existing tuition payments; some of these families can afford tuition and/or are from communities that are not historically disadvantaged.

This Cleveland.com article examines how the increase in students is attributed to the removal of income eligibility caps (promoting the use of public dollars for families who can otherwise afford tuition) and looks at concerns over the long-term sustainability of funding dual public and private school systems, and its potential impact on public education. Read even more about the continued expansion of school vouchers in ACS’ winter newsletter, What to Watch 2024, Part 2 – Democracy at a Crossroads: Navigating Threats and Charting the Course for the Future.