Are more school vouchers a good idea?

So, how do you feel about school vouchers?

Some of Ohio’s GOP lawmakers apparently like them quite a bit. Our Columbus bureau reporter, Jackie Borchardt, reported last week that Republican state senators have added amendments to the state budget bill “expanding eligibility for the voucher program proposed earlier this year by Gov. John Kasich. The program would allow up to 2,000 kindergartners next year to attend private or charter schools if their families earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, about $46,000 for a family of four.”

Supporters of the change say it’s only fair to let lower-income families have the same sort of school choice as do better-off families, and that vouchers will make public schools more competitive. Leaders in the public schools, however, argue that expanding the voucher program will take money away from and eventually do real harm to school systems, especially in urban districts.

What do you think? Are vouchers a good idea? A help for students or a problem for city schools?

Please email me at rrollins@coxohio.com and let me know what you think.

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About the Author

Ron Rollins