Ohio Allocates Taxpayer Money to Religious Schools for Expansion, Sparking Controversy

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Ohio is directly granting millions of taxpayer dollars to private religious schools, primarily Catholic, for campus expansions and renovations. Unlike school voucher programs that give families public funds to pay private school tuition, Ohio’s new approach cuts out the middleman by funding the schools directly. This funding is intended to help these schools accommodate more students using vouchers.

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, who spearheaded the legislation, explained that the goal is to increase the capacity of private schools to absorb more voucher students. However, education experts see this as a significant departure from previous funding norms. Josh Cowen of the Education Law Center warned, “This is new, dangerous ground,” as private religious schools have traditionally relied on philanthropy or fundraising for construction, not public funds.

Critics argue the move violates the separation of church and state, as Ohio is now funding religious education infrastructure. David Pepper, former Ohio Democratic Party chairman, highlighted the precedent this sets, warning it could spread to other states.

The Ohio Constitution prohibits religious groups from controlling state school funds, yet proponents argue the grants are essential to expanding Christian school options for students across the state. Some experts, like William Phillis from the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, fear that what starts as a $4 million program could eventually grow into hundreds of millions for religious school construction.