FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept.

23, 2011 for more information, contact: Damon Asbury OSBA director of legislative services (614) 832-6663 (cell) dasbury@ohioschoolboards.org Tom Ash BASA director of governmental relations (614) 846-4080 E-mail: ash@basa-ohio.org Barbara Shaner OASBO associate executive director (614) 325-9562 (cell) barbara@oasbo-ohio.org

Survey shows voters dont support government subsidies for private schools
Columbus Three Ohio education management organizations today released statewide survey results on public subsidies for private education. Sixty percent of voters polled said they do not think Ohio tax dollars should be used for private school tuition subsidies. Despite language in the recently passed state budget that expands the practice, a majority of Ohioans do not approve. Richard Lewis, executive director for the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), said, our organizations (BASA, OASBO and OSBA) have become increasingly concerned about the expansion of private school voucher programs through recent and proposed legislative changes. These programs divert state and local dollars intended for public schools to private schools to pay or subsidize student tuition. Another topic of the survey addressed the accountability of private schools receiving tax subsidies. The survey asked whether private schools accepting voucher students should be required to maintain the same standards of testing and assessment of overall student performance as their public school counterparts. More than 85% of respondents strongly favor common assessment practices for students in all schools whether public, private or parochial. -more-

Survey shows voters dont support government subsidies for private schools 2/2/2/2/2 David Varda, executive director for the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) said, This sends a powerful message when it comes to the way Ohioans want to see their tax dollars spent. Public school districts work hard every day to make sure our system of education is accountable and that all students have the opportunity to be served. Voters want accountability and a level playing field when private entities are spending public money. The organizations point out that despite voter sentiment, private school subsidies have increased, with even more expansion pending with proposed House Bill (HB) 136, sponsored by Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima). Kirk Hamilton, executive director for the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) said, HB 136 would expand the use of vouchers to subsidize private school tuition with public tax dollars, regardless of the performance of the public school district the student would otherwise attend. We believe the results of this survey should cause lawmakers to pause before further expansion through HB 136. A copy of the survey results is available upon request. --In its 56th year, Ohio School Boards Association leads the way to educational excellence by serving Ohios public school board members and the diverse districts they represent through superior service and creative solutions. For more information, visit the OSBA website at http://www.ohioschoolboards.org. The Buckeye Association of School Administrators is a nonprofit professional organization of school system leaders (specifically, superintendents, central office administrators, buildinglevel administrators, higher education administrators and faculty, graduate students, and other educational personnel) dedicated to developing exemplary school system leaders and to advocate for public education. For more information, visit our website at http://www.basaohio.org. Founded in 1936, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials is a not-for-profit, professional association serving the continuing education and legislative needs of public school district treasurers/CFOs, business managers, transportation directors, food and nutrition directors and district support staff. With headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, OASBO has four statewide chapters and twelve chapters across five regions, serving over 1,100 members statewide. For more information, visit our website at www.oasbo-ohio.org.

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