1,100 rally in Columbus for school vouchers

By Marc Kovac | March 23, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

More than 1,100 advocates of increased state-funded vouchers to help families attend charter or private schools instead of public ones rallied in Columbus on Tuesday.

The event at the Statehouse gave attendees a chance to voice support for legislation in the Legislature and changes outlined by Gov. John Kasich in his recently announced $55.5 billion biennial budget.

“You deserve the opportunity to educate your kids the way you want your kids to be educated,” said Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor. She added later, “Government shouldn’t tell you ... how to educate your kids.”

Under existing state law, the state provides about 13,000 scholarships to students in consistently under-performing school districts who want to attend classes elsewhere.

In his two-year spending plan, Kasich is proposing more than quadrupling the number of vouchers and lifting a cap on the number of charter schools allowed to open in the state.

Separate legislation being considered in the Ohio House and Senate would change eligibility for school vouchers to include more families.