On behalf of the dedicated educators represented by the Hilliard EA, I am writing to you today to address a matter of critical urgency for the future of our students, our community, and the integrity of public education in Ohio: the expansion and existential threat of school voucher programs.

As a union, our core mission is to advocate for the resources and conditions that allow every student to thrive and reach their full potential. School vouchers work directly against that mission. As the Ohio Education Association has made clear, public tax dollars belong in public schools.

The ongoing legal battles surrounding Ohio’s voucher system highlight its fundamental flaws. When the voucher system was previously ruled unconstitutional, it underscored a
profound truth: our state constitution mandates a thorough and efficient system of common schools open to every student regardless of zip code. Vouchers do the exact opposite. They siphon vital public funds away from our already underfunded public schools to pay for private school tuition—largely benefiting a small number of mostly wealthy families who were already sending their children to private institutions in the first place. As public school
educators, we see the profound danger of voucher expansion on the very system we work within.

We must shift our focus to strengthening the public schools that serve nearly 90 percent of the students in our state. Every dollar sent to a private school is a dollar stripped from Ohio’s 1.6 million public school students. These are public tax dollars that could—and should—be used right here in our district to reduce class sizes, expand extracurricular programs, and increase vital learning opportunities which will prepare our students for whichever path they choose to take after graduating from our schools. Ohio must invest in the comprehensive supports and resources our students need to reach their full potential within the public school system.

Furthermore, we must address the fundamental lack of equity and accountability inherent in voucher programs:

* Public Schools Are for Us All: Public schools welcome, protect, and support every single student who walks through our doors, regardless of their race, background, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability. Private schools, on the other hand, are allowed to pick and choose their students, often leaving behind those who need the most support.

* A Complete Lack of Accountability: Public tax dollars should only go to schools that are strictly accountable to the public. Our public schools are subject to rigorous academic and financial oversight, transparency, and public board meetings. Private schools accept millions in public tax dollars without having to show how that money is spent, and they are not held to the same academic or financial standards. Nationally, this lack of oversight has led to rampant waste, fraud, and abuse. Ohio’s taxpayers and students deserve better.

Hilliard thrives when our public schools thrive. We cannot afford to sit by while public education is dismantled from the inside out by programs that prioritize private interests over
the public good.

We urge this Board to stand firmly with our educators, our students, and our community by publicly opposing the expansion of school vouchers through the school voucher lawsuit. We need you to advocate for full, fair funding for our public schools. Let us work together to ensure that our district remains a place where every child receives the world-class public education they deserve.