More about SB 89 SB 89 provides relief from the deduction method of funding vouchers, and it addresses another long-standing concern, state take-over of school districts. Both of these punitive policies are based on the state report card. If nothing else, this fight has raised awareness that the report card system is broken. The League opposes the use of public funds for private and religious education. But Ohio’s unique system of funding vouchers by the deduction method is particularly hard on local school districts that are responsible for paying for students who they do not educate! THE DEDUCTION METHOD OF FUNDING VOUCHERS IS WRONG. IT DESTROYS LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS, INCREASES INEQUALITY IN LOCAL EDUCATION RESOURCES, PUNISHES CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, AND INCREASES RELIANCE ON LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES. Here are some of the important provisions of SB 89, and if the Senate concurs, Ohio will begin the path to relief for public school districts. - It will end the deduction method for funding NEW vouchers. Starting with the 2020-21 school year all NEW vouchers will come from the Buckeye Opportunity Scholarship program and will be based on income.
- Families with incomes up to 250% of poverty will be eligible for a voucher. Partial support will be available for families up to 300% of poverty. Sen. Matt Huffman wants more people to be eligible, and has pushed for 400%. This percentage matters and is the likely focus for the debate in the senate.
- Academic distress commissions now in place in three cities will be dissolved in June, and a moratorium on new commissions until 2024 will go into effect.
- The Legislature will create two study groups, one to examine testing and the state report card, and the second to design better ways to support school districts that are struggling.
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