Save Public School Funding
Ohio's public schools educate nearly 90% of our children, and in 10 counties, they're the only option families have. Yet as the Ohio Statehouse refuses to constitutionally fund public schools and Washington diverts millions to private vouchers with little oversight, the districts holding our communities together are being starved of the resources they need. When we show up at the ballot box, in our statehouses, and at our local levy elections, we can rebuild a public school system worthy of every Ohio child.
Why does it matter?
Public schools form the bedrock of Ohio's communities, serving roughly 1.6 million students (nearly 90%), compared to just 180,000 in private schools. In 10 of Ohio’s 88 counties, zero private schools exist, making public education the only option for rural families. However, public schools are growing increasingly desperate for funding as federal and state policies divert public money away from public districts.
The push by conservative leaders to expand private school vouchers treats education as a consumer commodity. Proponents argue free-market competition drives quality, allowing taxpayer dollars to follow students to institutions aligning with their values rather than relying on neighborhood-based assignments.
However, treating education like a private business fails in practice:
Unequal Playing Field: Private schools select admissions, opt-out of special education, charge extra tuition, and operate without elected oversight or strict state mandates. Expecting public schools to compete while serving all students under state regulation starves them of resources.
Fixed Operating Costs: Losing 5% of students to vouchers does not drop operating costs by 5%. Heating buildings, running buses, and paying teachers remain fixed expenses, leaving the remaining 95% of students with less funding.
Lack of Rural Options: Free markets require choices. In counties lacking private schools, vouchers drain public funds without providing alternative education options.
Who Profits? Unlike public districts focused solely on student well-being, charter schools and private management organizations can operate for profit and with little oversight. Millions in taxpayer dollars shift into corporate hands, vendors, and real estate developers instead of remaining in local communities.
Watch this explanation from an Ohio superintendent and treasurer on how vouchers work and why private schools receiving state money lack public accountability.
Resources:
What is Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship program and how are school vouchers impacting Akron? - Signal Akron
Ohio spend more than a billion dollars on private school voucher programs in fiscal year 2025 - News from the States
Ohio’s Ethics Commission kills charter school disclosure rule after political pressure - cleveland.com
Accountability & Access: The Facts about Ohio’s Voucher System - Licking Heights Local Schools
How Is the Federal Government Defunding Public Schools?
Major policy changes in Washington are overhauling how K-12 education is run. The Trump administration is significantly downsizing the U.S. Department of Education. They are cutting over half its staff and reassigning core programs, like support for low-income schools, to the Department of Labor. Federal leaders have also permanently cut key competitive programs, including $28 million in GEAR UP college-readiness grants that served students across Ohio. At the same time, federal policy is increasingly steering tax dollars toward private school vouchers and alternative education models rather than traditional public classrooms.
Resources:
What can we do?
1) See how one Ohio district is educating its community — ask if yours is doing the same.
2) Contact your state rep and state senator: demand full, inflation-adjusted funding of the Fair School Funding Plan and oppose further voucher expansion. Check out this resource for guidance on contacting your lawmakers.
3) Vote in your local school levy elections — with pass rates at historic lows, every vote counts more than ever.
4) Follow and share updates on the Vouchers Hurt Ohio case as it heads toward the Ohio Supreme Court.
5) Get involved: honestyforohioeducation.org
6) LWV Ohio: Tailgating for Rural Schools - Tips and information in support of Ohio’s rural schools
Resources:
Rural Schools and Fair School Funding - League of Women Voters
Ohio’s Property Tax Revolt - A Problem Years in the Making - Chardon Local Schools
EdChoice Private School Vouchers are rules unconstitutional, but case is far from over - Statehouse News Bureau
Ohio voters reject school levies, tax hikes around the state - Signal Cleveland
How Is the Ohio Statehouse Defunding Public Schools?
This isn't just about vouchers and federal cuts. It's about the Statehouse breaking our state constitution. In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in DeRolph v. State that relying heavily on local property taxes was unconstitutional. Nearly 30 years later, the crisis is worse: Ohio’s state share of school funding has fallen from 35th to 45th nationally, driving property tax rates to the 8th highest in the country as homeowners now shoulder 67.5% of the tax burden. The state's 2021 Fair School Funding Plan relied on outdated 2022 data, underfunding public schools by an estimated $950 million and shortchanging local districts. When the Statehouse won't pay its share, your local levy has to.
With only 24 of 66 local school levies passing in May 2026, districts face severe financial pressure just to keep basic classroom services afloat.
Facing these federal and state budget cuts and the pressure of large amounts of money now supporting Ohio’s voucher program, Ohio public school districts are dropping student services. Programs and resources are being cut including math tutors, English language aid, after-school programs, art programs, music programs, bussing and school counselors. Many districts are not replacing retiring teachers leading to larger class sizes. There is a direct correlation between underfunding and schools failing.