Rural Ohio Hit Hard by Private School Vouchers

June 17, 2025

Wealthy suburban schools have been joining Vouchers Hurt Ohio at a fast pace because they see and feel the immediate impact of losing millions of dollars to private school vouchers.

It is also becoming increasingly clear that vouchers hurt rural schools.

According to the National Rural Education Association (NREA), rural schools across the country serve more than 10 million students, and half of those students, nearly five million children, come from low-income homes.

Like Ohio, these rural schools are not able to raise large amounts of local tax dollars because their property values are often lower compared to other areas of the state.

Rural schools in Ohio and many states are more dependent on the state to ensure there is enough money for each child to receive a high quality education.

Ohio lawmakers have abandoned the Fair School Funding Plan that would have funded all schools, including rural schools, at a constitutional level.

At the same time, legislative leaders are siphoning away more than $1 billion in tax dollars for private school operators and an unregulated, unaccountable private school voucher program.

You can see why rural schools are taking one for the wealthy team of families and private school operators when it comes to vouchers.

In other states where vouchers have drained rural schools, the consequences have been devastating to rural communities.

In West Virginia and Arizona, according to the NREA, rural schools have been forced to close.

In Indiana, there have been increasing calls for consolidation of local schools and school districts.

Keep in mind, in many of these small towns and rural districts in Ohio, the local public school is their identity and means everything. Everything.

Vouchers don’t help poor families. Vouchers don’t help rural schools. Vouchers hurt low-income students, rural schools and all of Ohio.

This is a plague. The cure is our lawsuit. Vouchers are going on trial.

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

If not, why not? Learn how to join here.

Sincerely,

Vouchers Hurt Ohio