Debate intensifies over OH school vouchers as Trump advocates expansion

Farah Siddiqi

As Ohio's private school voucher program nears $1 billion in funding, the Trump administration is pushing to expand school choice nationwide by redirecting federal money toward similar programs.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reports more than 3,000 students in Dayton City Schools alone use one of the state programs meant to provide access to private, faith-based or public charter schools.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, argued vouchers weaken public education by taking public dollars away from schools serving all students.

"Private schools can limit their admission to only certain types of students but public schools serve all students," DiMauro pointed out. "Every student deserves fully funded public schools that give them a sense of belonging and prepare them with the life skills they need to follow their dreams and reach their full potential."

A report by the Ohio Education Policy Institute showed a decline in low-income students using vouchers in Cleveland, dropping from 35% to 7%. Statewide, the percentage of EdChoice recipients who previously attended private school had increased to nearly 55% by 2023. The shift showed Ohio's voucher program increasingly benefits wealthier families and current private school students.

Dan Heintz, an educator, school board member and member of the Vouchers Hurt Ohio Lawsuits Steering Committee, said using public tax dollars to fund private institutions without sufficient oversight is inspiring school boards to join the lawsuit.

"Ohio is a state where families earning $60,000 a year are subsidizing the private school tuition of families earning $300,000 a year," Heintz emphasized.

Heintz points to recent changes in eligibility requirements, which no longer mandate students previously attended a public school, a shift he said deepens educational inequities, widening the opportunity gaps for students who need the most support.