COLUMBUS—Sen. Sandra O’Brien this week introduced Senate Bill 386 to the Ohio General Assembly as the Parental Educational Freedom Act. This bill is good news for Ohio’s schoolchildren as it would greatly expand their schooling options by making each student in the state eligible for an EdChoice Scholarship to be used at a private school of their choice, or an increased tax credit for expenses related to homeschooling.

The bill serves a similar function to House Bill 290, the Backpack Bill, which currently awaits additional hearings in the Ohio House of Representatives. Although the two bills differ slightly in their approach, both accomplish the important function of empowering parents to be the primary decision makers regarding where and what type of education their children receive. The EdChoice Scholarships provided by SB368 amount to $5,500 for students in Grades K-8 and $7,500 for students in Grades 9-12. The state tax credit for homeschooling expenses would be raised to $2,000.

“Sen. O’Brien has taken a bold step on behalf of Ohio’s children,” said Troy McIntosh, Executive Director of the Ohio Christian Education Network. “This legislation recognizes the rightful place that parents have in their children’s lives. When the state grants parents the opportunity to determine the type of education that best fits their children, every student in the state wins because every school becomes more accountable to the parents and students they serve.”

Research consistently demonstrates the benefits of legislation that offers increased educational freedom, including higher satisfaction rates and greater educational attainment in later years for participants, as well as improved academic performance among those who remain in public schools. In addition, polling has consistently shown that 3 out of 4 parents across the country favor this type of funding model, in which the educational funding follows the children to the school of his or her choice.

“This bill is an important step toward fixing Ohio’s broken educational system,” McIntosh continued. “The Ohio Christian Education Network looks forward to working with Sen. O’Brien and other lawmakers to pass legislation like this that brings new school opportunities to Ohio’s children.”

For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or info@ccv.org.

As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel. 

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