Unions, DeRolph case group condemn 'backpack' school funding

Ohio’s teachers unions and the organization that started a decades-long fight to change public school funding in the state are calling a new attempt to expand private school vouchers a “direct assault on the Ohio Constitution.”

The two-page bill which entered the Ohio House on Wednesday, says it is “the General Assembly’s intent” that the Ohio Revised Code be changed to “create a thorough and efficient statewide foundation funding formula for the education of all students in this state.”

Under the bill, all students, including those in community schools, STEM schools and private schools along with public school districts, would have the option for student funding “to follow them to the schools they attend.”

“This formula will ensure Ohio maintains strong funding for public and nonpublic schools while cultivating innovation and opportunity for all children,” the bill language states.

Read more: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2021/05/07/unions-derolph-case-group-condemn-backpack-school-funding/