Schools

Westlake District Opposes Tax Vouchers For Private Schools

Officials say program would spend much more on private education than public education in Westlake.

The Westlake public school district is joining hundreds of others across the state in opposition of House Bill 136.

If passed, the legislation would distribute tax vouchers to families making a combined annual income of $95,000 or less. The current system gives vouchers to students assigned to failing public school districts.

In Westlake, a family that meets the financial guidelines could get a yearly voucher of about $2,300 to $4,600 to send a child to a private school in the area, rather than a public school in the district, which is rated Excellent by the Ohio State Board of Education.

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Proponents say this bill would increase parental choice. Opponents say it will taking money from already cash-strapped public school districts that must educate all students in their communities.

But Westlake schools Superintendent Dan Keenan said that in his district, the state would not be able to afford to pay for the vouchers. The proposed amount for vouchers would be much higher than state funding per Westlake public school student, about $465 right now.

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"It's not real choice because [the state] couldn't fund the same amount to go out of the district that they give to our students," he said. "It doesn't make sense to me that you wouldn't fund your public school students at the same level as you would put out for private school students if you want to have a choice. They should have enough funds to provide the same amount to any family or student whether it’s public or private. That's where we're frustrated. You don't have the money to support a real choice."

The voucher proposal was unwelcome news to the district after seeing $4.1 million in state funding cuts coming over the next two years.

"This has been an impactful year for public schools, and certainly Westlake has seen a sizable reduction..." Keenan said. "This would really add to it."

Around the state, other school districts have been speaking out on the bill, which has yet to come to a vote before the full House. Locally, the  and the  have voted on resolutions opposing the bill. Nearly 200 boards of education in Ohio have also passed resolutions stating opposing the bill. The  passed a resolution opposing the bill Monday night.

State Rep. Nan Baker, who represents Westlake, Bay Village, Rocky River, Fairview Park and North Olmsted, was one of two Republicans to vote against the bill in the state house education committee.

Keenan,, fear that the bill will be taking much-needed state funds away from local schools. Westlake is one of few systems in the state that does not recieve funding based on enrollment.

"The frustration with something like this is it comes across as choice but Westlake is a guarantee district, so we don’t have a fixed per student amount," Keenan said. "So we already receive less state funding than private schools in Westlake."

Keenan said that while the district is not particularly concerned about parents choosing to leave the district, he has concerns about how the state will pay for the voucher program. Westlake, with such property valuations, does not receive state funding based on enrollment.

"Kids at public school don't get that much money from the state to go to public school," he said. "Our local community supports our schools with a different tax base. That's already a sacrifice our community makes, and to do this on top of that compounds the issue in a place like Westlake.

"I don’t want to see a community where we already do a tremendous job supporting our own schools in spite of a system that really is, understandably, set up to provide state funds to people that are less fortunate. So the community does our part and our share and puts more into the system. To have something that compounds that is a tough pill to swallow."


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