Provisions Removed from Ohio Bill that would add Accountability to Private Schools, Voucher Program
Source: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/
A Republican bill in Ohio aimed at increasing accountability for private schools had key provisions removed in a revised version passed by committee. The changes, introduced by Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur, included the removal of funding transparency and standardized testing requirements. The original House Bill 407 was introduced by Reps. Gayle Manning and Bill Seitz earlier this year, with the revised bill being adopted during a recent Ohio House committee meeting.
The revised bill removed a provision that would have required private schools to submit an annual report to the Ohio Department of Education detailing how state funds from voucher programs are used, with the reports also being posted on the department’s website. Additionally, the substitute bill eliminated a requirement for private schools to annually report the family income of EdChoice voucher students who received additional tuition assistance from scholarship granting organizations.
The revised bill removed a requirement for voucher scholarship students to take the same standardized tests as public school students, allowing private schools to test voucher students with either standardized tests or alternative assessments. However, the substitute bill retained a provision requiring the Ohio Department of Education to issue state report cards for private schools that enroll scholarship students. Ohio allocated nearly a billion dollars for private school scholarships in the 2024 fiscal year, leading to a 2% increase in nonpublic school enrollment and a slight decline in public school enrollment. Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan emphasized the growing demand for accountability in the use of public funds.
Rep. Gayle Manning introduced the bill, emphasizing her and Rep. Seitz’s fiscal conservative stance, with no external groups requesting the legislation. She argued that the public should have transparency about how voucher funds are spent, citing the example of high superintendent salaries in public schools. The bill’s goal is to ensure parents are informed about where the money is going—whether to students, classrooms, or school boards.
Troy McIntosh of the Ohio Christian Education Network shifted from opposing to supporting the bill, though he expressed concerns about the state’s regulatory overreach, particularly regarding report cards for EdChoice providers. Dan Dodd of the Ohio Alliance of Independent Schools argued the bill would burden schools with administrative tasks and rejected the idea of comparing private and public schools on a state website, as education quality differs. About half of the Alliance’s 46 member schools now participate in the voucher program, with tuition ranging from $12,000 to over $20,000 depending on the school.
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