Number of school vouchers in Ohio grows

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Department of Education says it’s accepting more applications for a statewide voucher program that allows children in low-performing public schools to attend private schools.

The move comes as a result of a new two-year state budget that expands the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship. Gov. John Kasich (KAY’-sik) signed the spending plan into law Thursday.

The budget increases the number of vouchers available this year to 30,000 from the previous 14,000.

-scholarship cap. The expansion means the board won’t have to turn away some of the students who want to use tax dollars to attend private school this year. The department said it had collected more than 15,000 applications in the spring.

The state spending plan also increases the number of vouchers to 60,000 for the 2012-2013 school year.