E. Darlene Yeley
Springfield
Public school classrooms deserve better
As a public school teacher and the mayor of Huber Heights, I see Ohio’s school funding crisis from both sides — in the classroom and in the budget.
A ProPublica investigation published last year revealed what many of us suspected: Ohio’s voucher program was never designed to help struggling students. Private letters from former Gov. Voinovich show it was a deliberate strategy — start small, frame it around poor kids, then expand to everyone. Both times, in 1995 and 2023, vouchers were buried in the state budget. No standalone vote. No ballot measure.
The expansion is now costing every Ohio household $20 a month. When universal eligibility took effect, 95 percent of new vouchers went to families whose children were already in private school. Spending grew 228 percent. Private school enrollment grew 12 percent. That’s not school choice. That’s a subsidy.
Meanwhile, 595 public school districts serving nearly a million students are projecting deficits by 2029. The legislature found $1.16 billion for vouchers but abandoned the Fair School Funding Plan it passed just four years earlier — a plan that would have cost roughly the same amount.
Now HB 96 forces districts that managed their money responsibly to refund their reserves. The districts that cut spending and saved taxpayer money are the ones being punished.
I teach in a public school. I watch what budget pressure does to classrooms. Ohio’s students — all of them — deserve better than a system that was designed in private letters 30 years ago and has never once been put to a public vote.
Jeff Gore
Mayor, City of Huber Heights
Public school teacher
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance programming a disappointment
As Dayton residents and arts subscribers since 1981, my wife and I are profoundly disappointed by the recent programming changes at the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA).
Having grown up in New York City and lived in several other major cities, we have always championed Dayton’s exceptional dedication to the arts. For decades, we have been loyal season ticket holders for the SuperPops and Rockin’ Orchestra series, often boasting to our NYC friends about the world-class, accessible programming available in our own backyard.
The decision to eliminate these series is a significant loss. As patrons who do not follow the opera, ballet, or traditional classical repertoire, we found nothing in this year’s program that appeals to our interests. We held out hope that several of these performances might reappear as individual “Create Your Own” events, but they are nowhere to be found.
This shift doesn’t just alienate a 45-year history of personal support; it impacts Dayton’s economy. The cancellation of these series results in at least 10 fewer dates for thousands of people to visit downtown and support local restaurants. Furthermore, we are concerned that the current lineup lacks the “draw” necessary to attract younger patrons—the very demographic the DPAA requires for long-term survival.
We sincerely hope the DPAA will reconsider the needs of the diverse audience members who have sustained these series for so many years. Without variety, Dayton’s vibrant arts scene risks becoming a closed circle.
Stephen Goldberg
Dayton