Do you, or someone you know, struggle to pay tuition so that your children may attend Catholic school? Do you know people who would preferred to have enrolled their children in a Catholic school but they just could not afford it?

A new bill pending in the Ohio Senate recognizes that parents should be able to choose the school that is the best fit for their child. Its supporters believe that a family’s address or income should not stop them from making the best educational choice for their child.

Senate Bill 85, sponsored by Sen. Matt Huffman of Lima, combines three existing scholarship programs ‒‒ you may have heard about the “voucher program” for the poorest of the poor ‒‒ and expands the number of people who may participate. While still based on income, the Opportunity Scholarship would be available to families with an income of less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. For example, a four-person household could not have income higher than $98,400. Ohio Opportunity Scholarships would be fully funded by the state (it does NOT impact school districts) at $5,000 (k-8) and $7,500 (9-12) each. In addition, students who qualify for money they don’t spend can “bank” those funds for use later in high school or college.

We believe that parents are the primary educators of their children. They know their children better than any teacher or administrator, and they should be able to decide where their children are educated. Catholic schools provide a faith-based education that should be available to all families regardless of income levels. Families should not have to choose between putting food on the table and paying tuition. While St. Francis Xavier Parish does provide some tuition assistance for parishioners, certain economic realities (like salaries, health insurance and facility needs) limit the extent to which we can help. Sometimes the sad reality is that some parents must choose a more affordable option.

We urge you to consider supporting this measure to help low- and middle-income families throughout the state, and especially here in Medina, select the best learning environment for their children. There are several ways you can do this:

● Attend a rally at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 2, at the Ohio Statehouse. Through a generous donation, buses are being provided FREE to families in the diocese who can participate in person. ​I strongly encourage as many families as possible to participate. ​Parents must accompany their children, who will receive an ​excused absence​ for the day. ​We are partnering with St. Ambrose School in Brunswick, where participants will board a bus by 7:30 a.m. and travel to Columbus for the rally, statehouse tour and meeting with elected officials. We will return by 3:30 p.m. Please see details on the attached form and complete ASAP.

If you can’t be there in person, here are two other ways you can help:

● Contact your state senator and representative and share your support of Senate Bill 85. You can easily find their names and contact information at this link: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislators/find-my-legislators​. We are blessed to have the president of the Senate, Sen. Larry Obhof (R-22), as a parent in our school. Let him know that you support this measure!

● Write a letter to our local newspapers indicating your support of Senate Bill 85. Include your own story of how vouchers would help you or families in our community.

Lastly, please pray for wisdom for our state legislators as they attempt to balance the needs of all their constituents. This has been a hotly contested subject over the years. We think this latest proposal may offer an ideal solution that does not subtract money from our local school districts but allows families to choose what they deem best for their children. Isn’t that what good parenting is all about?

Peace,

Rev. Anthony F. Sejba