The End Of An Era
While a great number of the more than 40,000 Catholic School students in this diocese are not in school today due to this winter storm, we still have two reasons to celebrate: National Catholic Schools Week and also National School Choice Week! Today I offer a reflection on both, especially the latter, as Ohio’s education system—after decades of division, litigation, and a narrative of scarcity—has quietly crossed a historic threshold. Traditional public schools remain the number one choice for Ohio families. They always have been, and they will likely continue to be. Ohio has made good on a long-deferred obligation: to fund public education constitutionally, equitably, and to recognize that children choosing educational options outside traditional school districts are no less children of Ohio. This year, Ohio has implemented the third phase of the Fair School Funding Plan, passing into law the inputs-based funding model for public schools. The legis...