Education Funding Legislation

The Ohio Constitution requires the legislature to provide adequate funds and distribute them fairly so that every child in the state can attend a public school that has resources needed to provide a high-quality education. A fully funded, fully resourced public education system is the primary way to ensure that all students have equal access to quality education that will prepare them for citizenship and success in the 21st century.   Public schools are a reliable and accountable education resource open to every student in every community, and serve as the cornerstone institution that strengthens communities and unites people in common purpose.
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​Since the adoption of the Ohio Constitution in 1851, the state legislature has been responsible for ensuring the revenue sources, distribution method, and balance between state and local taxpayers' are fully and equitably funding school districts across Ohio. Decades after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled, in 1997, that Ohio's public school funding method was unconstitutional, inequitable, and overly reliant on property valuation, the Ohio legislature still fails to meet its funding obligation.

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​HB 33
​​Biennial State Budget
FY 2024-2025
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HONESTY POSITION:
​Support with amendments
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What does HB 33 do?
The biennial state budget expresses what Ohio cares about as a state and allocates state funds across education, transportation, and general operations. Each state budget should prioritize fully funding and resourcing a constitutional public education system, not divesting needed state dollars to fund unaccountable private schools or providing tax cuts for the wealthy.

HB 33 includes targeted funding for public education and a second installment toward fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan.  

​Why support HB 33 with amendments?
  • Ohio must continue the Fair School Funding Plan and fully fund the implementation during this biennium;  the state must do its share to fund public schools and stop shifting that responsibility to local taxpayers
  • The Fair School Funding Plan in HB 33 needs updates using current data to calculate costs, and a fully-funded study determining the cost of educating impoverished children 

Learn more about HB 33
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​SB 11
​​Private Education Funding

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HONESTY POSITION:
​Oppose​

​What does SB 11 do?
SB 11 expands public funding of private education by opening eligibility of EdChoice private school tuition vouchers to all K-12 students statewide
  • Provides $5,500 for K-8 students; $7,500 for high school students
  • Ends Cleveland Scholarship program
  • Provides a $2,000 tax credit to homeschooling families

Why oppose SB 11?
  • The Ohio Legislature must prioritize fully funding a constitutional public education system, not expanding public funding of private schools 
  • Removing restrictions on EdChoice voucher eligibility forces the public to fund private education rather than the individual family attending the school
  • Private schools are loosely regulated by the state and have little to no accountability for student wellbeing,  academics, or school finances
  • There is no data showing voucher programs improve education quality or student outcomes
  • Publicly funded private schools do not admit all students and are not geographically available in all communities
  • Private schools deeply disadvantage rural public schools and communities
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Learn more about SB 11
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​HB 11 
Private Education Funding

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HONESTY POSITION:
Oppose
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What does HB 11 do?
Expands public funding of private education by creating publicly funded Education Savings Accounts for all K-12 students to use for private school education
  • Provides $5,500 for K-8 students; $7,500 for high school students
  • Replaces 3 voucher programs: EdChoice, EdChoice Expansion, Cleveland Scholarship
  • Prohibits state from regulating participating nonpublic non-chartered school and homeschooling curriculum 
Why oppose HB 11?
  • Operating two different publicly funded systems  violates the Ohio Constitution and undermines the success of the public system
  • Lacks oversight, regulation, and accountability of private education, failing to ensure that public funds are being used for honest, inclusive education that benefits the common good
  • Unnecessarily increases state costs and divests needed funding from public school districts
  • Public funds should not be used by private schools able discriminate against students for admissions and decide which students are entitled to public funds

Learn more about HB 11