DEAR EDITOR:

I almost spit out my drink with laughter upon reading the last line of a recent letter to the editor, “… when it comes to making school choice a reality for tens of thousands of families rather than only the privileged few.” I encourage the writer to read the Editorial from March 24, 2025 of this newspaper that shared statistically, 88.9% of EdChoice students do not qualify as low-income … hardly representing the “tens of thousands of families” that aren’t privileged getting access to private schools. Every analysis of this past academic year’s enrollment of those utilizing EdChoice shows an increase of benefit for students who were already attending the private school. Therefore, we’ve done nothing but give a tax credit to the “privileged.”

Further, this “access” with public tax dollars that was so eloquently spoken of being available was captivating, unless of course your child has a learning disability. Sorry, no room for students with IEPs. Does your child have anger-management issues and behavior problems? Sorry, no room for you either. But the public school is required to accept and work with those students.

I can’t believe Ohioans are willing to accept that $1 billion is being given to a “black hole” of privatization with zero transparency and accountability. “How does “X” private school perform academically?” Sorry, no testing done for you to review or compare. “What are the salaries of the staff in this private school?” Sorry, we do not have to share that information. “When are your public meetings for taxpayers to hear your plans for education?” We don’t have those. Seriously? An issue as important as education and we’re OK with not knowing where this money is going or whether it’s being spent appropriately? We’re supposed to just “believe” it’s a good education because they say so.

The “Vouchers Hurt Ohio” lawsuit proceedings can’t come soon enough. The First Amendment of our Constitution and associated Establishment Clause clearly states there is a limitation placed upon Congress making it illegal for the government to promote a specific religion with taxes.(don’t get me started on the millions of our tax dollars being spent by our state on lawyers for this issue.)

If you want your child to attend a private school, great. But taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay the bill. My true belief is that when Jesus returns, his first stop won’t be the private schools. It will be the public inner-city schools who are serving our most vulnerable. That’s who our Legislature should be focused on.

ELAINE JACOBS

Canfield