Ohio kindergarten students now eligible for income-based scholarship for private school

Special guest blog by Matt Cox, School Choice Ohio

 

The application for Ohio’s new income-based scholarship opens today, July 1. Ohio’s is the newest income-based scholarship, joining Indiana, Louisiana, Washington DC, and Wisconsin.

Last week, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed the nation’s newest school choice program into law: a state-sponsored private school scholarship for students starting kindergarten this fall whose family income falls at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.

The income-based scholarship joins the EdChoice (failing school), Jon Peterson (special needs), Cleveland, and Autism scholarship programs in serving families in every corner of the state.

Meet A’bria

A’bria is excited for her future ahead of her.  Why? Because A’bria has big plans: she wants to become a lawyer or a pediatrician.  As for college, A’bria wants to attend Miami (in Ohio, not Florida) or Harvard.  She loves learning history and algebra, and she is grateful to attend a school with such supportive teachers. A’bria’s mom Sheryl applied for the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program for A’bria when she was entering kindergarten, and she continues to receive the scholarship today.

Check out A’bria speaking at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the landmark Supreme Court decision that upheld the Cleveland voucher program.

School Choice Ohio Celebrates Anniversary of Yesterday's Milestones, Looks Forward to Tomorrow's Victories

Our friends at School Choice Ohio yesterday celebrated the 10-year anniversary landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program in Cleveland, Ohio.

At “Fulfilling the Promise,” hosted by School Choice Ohio and sponsored by a broad coalition of supporters (including the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice), more than 650 advocates, supporters, scholarship recipients, parents, and legislators came to celebrate the victory 10 years agoand the imminent victories for the families of Cleveland.

At the event, our own Kevin P. Chavous spoke on this landmark decision and its impact on the larger impact it had on the school choice movement.  In 1995, when the Cleveland Program was enacted, there was only one other private school choice program--the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. 

Thanks in part to vouchers being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2002 and scholarship tax credit programs being upheld by the high court last year, states have enacted private school choice programs in significant numbers around the nation.  In 2012 alone, Louisiana expanded the New Orleans voucher program statewide, Florida expanded its flagship scholarship tax credit program, and Arizona expanded the nation's oldest scholarship tax credit programs as well as its first-of-its-kind Educational Savings Account program.  And Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi have created new private school choice programs, bringing the total private school choice programs to 30 programs across 15 states and the District of Columbia.

“Fulfilling the Promise” also focused on the students and families empowered by Ohio’s private school choice programs.  We heard from Walter Woodard, an EdChoice Scholarship recipient and A’Bria Robinson, a Cleveland Scholarship recipient.  The event also featured Tumpa Lewis and Tera Myers, parents whose children receive scholarships thanks to the state’s two private school choice programs for students with special needs.

Ten Year Anniversary of Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision

Our friends at School Choice Ohio are planning a big anniversary bash for the 10-year historic anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Cleveland School Voucher Program.

Featuring special guest Ken Starr, the event is being held on June 11 in Cleveland Ohio.  RSVP by June 1, at admin@scohio.org.

The Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program is a means-preferenced voucher program serving students living in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  Created in 1995, the program today serves 5,603 students. 


- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG