With opposition to the public school privatization bill (HB136) now at record levels, the bill's sponsor, Rep Matt Huffman is looking to make changes
according to GOP sources, Huffman is proposing to scale back the bill in several ways.
He reportedly is proposing to: lower income requirements so fewer students would qualify for a voucher; cap the amount of tax revenues a school district would lose for students transferring to a private school with a voucher; limit the number of students a district could lose to the program to no more than 1 percent of enrollment; and eliminate a provision that would allow parents to deposit any unused voucher money into a college savings account for their child.
As Tom Ash the director of governmental development for BASA notes, it is unlikely to be enough, especially in light of the revelations reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer in depth report over the weekend titled "Voucher program gets little scrutiny".
Six years after Ohio taxpayers began paying private-school tuition for what is now more than 15,000 students, the state is not reporting academic results for about half of them.
State education officials say online access, human error and the independence of private schools all play a role in the lack of state testing results in their annual reports.
Even the Governor's spokesperson admits that this is a troublesome finding. It continues a pattern of weakening public education in the name of "choice" and "competition", but not applying the same standards of transparency and accountability to tax payer funded private schools.
With more and more school districts and education organizations joining the ranks of opposition almost daily now, and reports that the current voucher effort is woefully failing in it's legally mandated transparency requirements, HB136 is a bill that should simply be tabled.
Here's the most recent list of districts and organizations opposing HB136, from OSBA
| Akron City |
Mapleton Local |
|
| Allen County ESC |
Maplewood Career Center |
| Amanda--Clearcreek Local |
Mariemont City |
| Amherst Ex Vill |
Marietta City |
| Arcadia Local |
Marion City |
| Archbold Area Local |
Marysville Ex Vill |
| Ashland County--West Holmes JVSD |
Maumee City |
| Ashtabula Area City |
McDonald Local |
| Ashtabula County T&C Ctr. |
Medina Ci†y |
| Athens--Meigs ESC |
Medina County ESC |
| Aurora City |
Meigs Local |
| Austintown Local |
Mentor Ex Vill |
| Ayersville Local |
Middletown City |
| Barnesville Ex Vill |
Millcreek--West Unity Local |
| Bath Local |
Mohawk Local |
| Bay Village City |
Morgan Local |
| Bellbrook--Sugarcreek Local |
Muskingum Valley ESC |
| Bellefontaine City |
Napoleon Area City |
| Belpre City |
National Trail Local |
| Benjamin Logan Local |
New Bremen Local |
| Benton--Carroll--Salem Local |
New Philadelphia City |
| Bethel--Tate Local |
New Riegel Local |
| Big Walnut Local |
Newark City |
| Bloom--Carroll Local |
Newbury Local |
| Boardman Local |
Newton Falls Ex Vill |
| Botkins Local |
Niles City |
| Bowling Green City |
Noble Local |
| Bristol Local |
Nordonia Hills City |
| Brookfield Local |
North College Hill City |
| Brooklyn City |
North Fork Local |
| Brown County ESC |
North Olmsted City |
| Brown Local (Carroll) |
Northeastern Local |
| Brunswick City |
Northridge Local |
| Buckeye Central Local |
Northwest Ohio ESC |
| Buckeye Local (Ashtabula) |
Northwestern Local |
| Buckeye Valley Local |
Norton City |
| Bucyrus City |
Norwood Local |
| C--Tech of Licking County |
Oak Hills Local |
| Canfield Local |
Oakwood City |
| Carey Ex Vill |
Oberlin City |
| Cedar Cliff Local |
Olmsted Falls City |
| Centerburg Local |
Orange City |
| Chagrin Falls Ex Vill |
Orrville City |
| Champion Local |
Ottawa--Glandorf Local |
| Chardon Local |
Ottoville Local |
| Chillicothe City |
Painesville City |
| Chippawa Local |
Perry--Hocking ESC |
| Clark County ESC |
Perrysburg Local |
| Clark--Shawnee Local |
Pike--Delta--York Local |
| Clay Local |
Port Clinton City |
| Cleveland Municipal |
Portsmouth City |
| Clinton--Massie Local |
Preble County ESC |
| Columbia Local |
Reading Community City |
| Columbiana Ex Vill |
Revere Local |
| Columbus Grove Local |
Rittman Ex Vill |
| Conneaut Area City |
Riverside Local |
| Conotton Valley Union Local |
Ross--Pike ESD |
| Coshocton City |
St. Henry Consolidated Local |
| Crestview Local |
St. Marys City |
| Crestwood Local |
Shaker Heights Local |
| Crooksville Ex Vill |
Shawnee Local |
| Cuyahoga Heights Local |
Sidney City |
| Danville Local |
Solon City |
| Dayton City |
South Central Ohio ESC |
| Deer Park City |
South Central Local |
| Delaware City |
South Range Local |
| Dublin City |
South--Western City |
| East Guernsey Local |
Southeast Local |
| East Holmes Local |
Southeastern Local |
| East Knox Local |
Southern Hills JVSD |
| Eastern Local (Brown) |
Southern Local (Meigs) |
| Eastern Local (Meigs) |
Southern Local (Perry) |
| Elida Local |
Southern Ohio ESC |
| Elyria City |
Southington Local |
| Euclid City |
Southwest Licking Local |
| Fairbanks Local |
Spencerville Local |
| Fairborn City |
Springfield City |
| Fairfield City |
Springfield Clark CTC |
| Fairfield Union Local |
Springfield Local (Lucas) |
| Fairland Local |
Springfield Local (Mahoning) |
| Fairless Local |
Steubenville City |
| Fairview Park City |
Stow--Munroe Falls City |
| Fayetteville--Perry Local |
Strasburg--Franklin Local |
| Federal Hocking Local |
Streetsboro City |
| Felicity--Franklin Local |
Strongsville City |
| Field Local |
Talawanda City |
| Finneytown Local |
Tecumseh Local |
| Firelands Local |
Toledo Public |
| Forest Hills Local |
Triad Local |
| Fort Frye Local |
Tri--County ESC |
| Franklin City |
Tri--Village Local |
|
| Franklin Local |
Trumbull County CTC |
| Fredericktown Local |
Trumbull County ESC |
| Fremont City |
Tuscarawas Valley Local |
| Galion City |
Tuslaw Local |
| Georgetown Ex Vill |
Twinsburg City |
| Gibsonburg Ex Vill |
Union Local |
| Goshen Local |
United Local |
| Graham Local |
Upper Arlington City |
| Granville Ex Vill |
Upper Sandusky Ex Vill |
| Green Local |
Urbana City |
| Greenon Local |
Valley View Local |
| Groveport Madison Local |
Vanlue Local |
| Hardin--Houston Local |
Van Wert City |
| Highland Local |
Vermilion Local |
| Howland Local |
Vinton County Local |
| Huntington Local |
Wadsworth City |
| Independence Local |
Wapakoneta City |
| Ironton City |
Warren City |
| Jackson--Milton Local |
Washington Local |
| Jefferson Area Local |
Waterloo Local |
| Jefferson County ESC |
Wauseon Ex Vill |
| Jefferson County JVS |
Waverly City |
| Jefferson Local (Madison) |
Wayne County JVS |
| Jennings Local |
Waynesfield--Goshen Local |
| Kalida Local |
Wellston City |
| Kenston Local |
Wellsville Local |
| Kent City |
West Branch Local |
| Keystone Local |
West Carrollton City |
| Kirtland Local |
Western Brown Local |
| Knox County Career Center |
Westlake City |
| LaBrae Local |
Wheelersburg Local |
| Lakeview Local |
Williamsburg Local |
| Lakewood City |
Winton Woods City |
| Lawrence County JVS |
Woodridge Local |
| Leetonia Ex Vill |
Wooster City |
| Liberty Local |
Worthington City |
| Licking County ESC |
Xenia Community |
| Lima City |
Yellow Springs Local |
| Lincolnview Local |
Youngstown City |
| Lisbon Ex Vill |
Zanesville City |
| Logan--Hocking Local |
County--wide Letters in Opposition: |
| Lordstown Local |
Lake County Superintendents |
| Loudonville--Perrysville Ex Vill |
Lorain County Superintendents |
| Lucas County ESC |
Medina County Superintendents |
| Lynchburg--Clay Local |
Southern Ohio ESC Center |
| Manchester Local |
Member District Superintendents |
|
Trumbull County Superintendent's Assoc. |
