Northeast Ohio Advocates for Catholic Schools

Ohio’s biennial budget process is nearing completion; following its introduction by the Governor, and revisions by the Ohio House, the budget bill, HB 96, is now with the Senate. In education, the Ohio Senate is considering how to balance the needs of all Ohio students, including the third phase of the Fair School Funding Plan’s recommendations for traditional public districts, as well as the enhancements to school choice, in which more Ohioans continue to participate. After four consecutive years of enrollment growth, our Catholic schools are more diverse than ever with regard to race, religion, socioeconomic status, and learning needs. That diversity is both a strength and a sacred responsibility that we take seriously. I have written before about poverty and its effects on educational outcomes. One request in the budget that would be of benefit to students and schools alike is to extend Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) to qualifying students attending chartered nonpublic schoo...