“Opportunistic Scholarships”

October 21, 2025

Good Tuesday morning,

“Opportunity Scholarships”

This was the term used to describe private voucher scholarships a long, long time ago when supporters first pushed for the program as a way to help low-income students escape “failing schools.”

What a lie.

In state after state where there has been an explosion of private school vouchers and the income limits have skyrocketed or, like in Ohio, there are no income limits, the opportunity for poor families to participate has been a pipe dream.

In North Carolina, a study this summer found the state’s private schools, many of which are exclusive and discriminate, have raised their tuition.

This is happening in Ohio as well. Private schools take the voucher – $6,165 for K-8 and $8,407 for high school students – and raise their tuition so poor families must dip into their family budgets or they can’t get in.

Meanwhile, wealthy families see the voucher cover part of their cost so it’s a refund and rebate program for them and a get rich scheme for private, mostly religious, schools.

Maybe vouchers should be called Opportunistic Scholarships?

It’s sad.

There are real life consequences to this horrendous policy.

Look no further than the Columbus public schools, our state’s largest. Despite voters approving a $100 million levy in 2023, the district is facing tough decisions to make $50 million in cuts ranging from closing school buildings to not transporting children in buses to and from school.

When the state abandoned the Cupp Patterson Fair School Funding Plan earlier this year and passed a budget without funding public schools at a constitutional level, Columbus public schools were one of the hardest hit.

A report from Policy Matters Ohio state’s “Ohio’s operating budget for school years 25-26 and 26-27 provides just 9.3 percent of the additional state funding schools need to educate every student.”

Columbus would have received $48.3 million more if the state funded public schools as they should.

Columbus homeowners, businesses, families and the community are doing their part. The levy they passed is being squandered as the state betrays Columbus students and public school students all across Ohio.

At the same time they are shortchanging public schools, they approved giving $1.7 billion to private schools in the next two years with absolutely zero strings attached. Zero!

This is why we’re in court. This is why we are suing and challenging the constitutionality of the EdChoice private school voucher scheme.

Is your district part of our historic lawsuit? Check here.

If not, why not? Learn more here.

Sincerely,

Vouchers Hurt Ohio