Correcting the actual EdChoice costs to CH-UH district

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to Eric Silverman’s opinion, published [online at www.heightsobserver.org] on Oct 12.

I am not taking a position on the school levy vote, and I have not supported EdChoice vouchers in the past. I respect people making informed decisions for themselves. However, informed decisions need to be made with accurate information, and the cost of EdChoice vouchers as stated in Mr. Silverman’s opinion are absolutely incorrect.

Yes, the 2019–20 deduction for EdChoice vouchers was $7,074,113. In his piece, Mr. Silverman omitted the $4,286,412 the state of Ohio funded for EdChoice vouchers.

To be clear--Ohio funds each EdChoice student the exact same amount it funds each district [public school] student. The net cost of an EdChoice voucher in the 2019–20 school year to the CH-UH school district was $7,074,113 minus the $4,286,412 provided by the state. Therefore, the net cost of EdChoice vouchers to the CH-UH school district was only perhaps $2.8 million of the district’s $130 million budget.  

It is disappointing to me that, as a former school board member, Mr. Silverman either doesn’t know how Ohio contributes funding for EdChoice vouchers, or he forgot, or worse. However, residents voting for or against the levy need the accurate information that Mr. Silverman did not provide.

James McMahon

James McMahon
Cleveland Heights

Read More on Letters To The Editor
Volume 13, Issue 11, Posted 6:13 PM, 10.19.2020