Ohio is allocating taxpayer funds to private, religious schools for the construction of new buildings and campus expansions, a move nearly unprecedented in recent U.S. history.
While several states have recently introduced expansive school voucher programs that provide parents with taxpayer money for private school tuition, Ohio is taking a more direct approach. As per a bill passed by its Legislature this summer, the state is offering millions of dollars in grants directly to religious schools, primarily Catholic institutions, for purposes such as building renovations, classroom construction, and playground upgrades.
Matt Huffman, the chief architect of the measure and President of the Ohio Senate, stated that the purpose of these grants is to enhance the capacity of private schools to eventually accommodate more voucher students.
“The capacity issue is the next big issue on the horizon for voucher efforts,” said Huffman, conveying the strategic aim behind the initiative.
Huffman did not respond to ProPublica’s requests for comment.
Historical precedents for state funding to private schools are limited. After Hurricane Katrina and during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal taxpayer dollars were used for repairing and improving private K-12 schools in some states. Religious institutions operating schools often receive government support for the social services they provide. Certain orthodox Jewish schools in New York have significantly relied on city financial assistance, as reported by The New York Times.
However, national experts on education funding stress that Ohio’s current strategy is a novel departure from past practices.
“This is new, dangerous ground, funding new voucher schools,” remarked Josh Cowen, a senior fellow at the Education Law Center and author of a recent book on the history of billionaire-led voucher initiatives. Traditionally, churches have depended on conservative philanthropy, fundraising campaigns, or assistance from their diocese for school construction, Cowen noted.
This initiative marks the first time such schools are being built primarily with public funding.
David Pepper, a political writer and former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, stated that this development shatters the long-standing notion that vouchers do not violate church-state separation. Courts have historically allowed vouchers, ruling that they do not contravene constitutional mandates since publicly funded vouchers are transferred through parents to religious schools.
Pepper warned that Ohio’s direct funding for the construction of a religious education system could set a precedent, leading to similar actions in other states.
The Ohio Constitution mandates that the General Assembly ensure a thorough and efficient common school system statewide, explicitly prohibiting any religious sect from having exclusive control over state school funds.
Nevertheless, Troy McIntosh, executive director of the Ohio Christian Education Network, which benefits from the new grants, told the Lima News that a portion of the public expenditure on private school expansion aims to guarantee that Christian school options are available to all children in Ohio.
Vouchers in Ohio initially had a limited scope in the 1990s, accessible only to parents of children in underfunded public schools in Cleveland. The intention was to empower these families with school choice through funding for better private schooling options. Over the years, voucher programs have been broadened, and recently, the EdChoice program was extended to all Ohio families by legislators and Gov. Mike DeWine.
This expansion posed challenges due to the lack of available and proximate private school options, particularly in rural regions, impeding parents’ ability to utilize the vouchers effectively.
Recognizing this issue, the Buckeye Institute, in a policy memo, proposed solutions to lawmakers, recommending the use of the Ohio One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund to address the increasing demand for classroom space in private and charter schools.
Subsequently, the Legislature incorporated at least $4 million in grants for private schools into a broader budget bill, largely due to the inability to debate every detail in extensive budget proposals and the Republican supermajorities in both chambers.
An Ohio Legislative Service Commission report indicated that these grants, some exceeding a million dollars, were allocated to various Catholic schools across the state. ProPublica’s inquiries to the administrators of these schools about the grant’s usage went unanswered or received uncertain responses.
William L. Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, remarked that while the initial grant amount seems modest, it sets a significant precedent. He warned that a small start in infrastructure funding could lead to hundreds of millions being directed towards private school construction in the future.
Mollie Simon contributed research to this report.
