Dear church family:

I have reviewed the legislation in support of Educational Savings Accounts (ESA’s) for non-chartered/non-public schools like our school which the Ohio Legislature passed as part of the biennial budget.  After careful review and discussion with school leaders to ensure that the legislation comports with our mission, vision, and values, we have determined that this bill will be very valuable for the members of our school community.

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Here’s a high level view of how ESA’s work: the State invites parents to apply, and essentially, as long as your kid is enrolled in a non-chartered/non-public (NCNP) school and you are in compliance with the other minimum requirements, you will have an ESA scholarship funded by the state of Ohio for each of your kids.  The amounts are up to about $4,600 for grades K-8, and $6,300 for grades 9-12.  There is an income test, but the minimum scholarship that the highest earner could get is 10% of these amounts.  In other words, everyone gets something.  Once your account is funded, then you remit it to a qualified NCNP school.

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Every year, a good portion of our students receive some form of financial aid.  This tremendous cost is made possible by the generous and sacrificial giving of so many donors.  ESA scholarships of the magnitude found in this legislation would certainly aid in relieving the incredible financial cost of operating our school, and make it possible for more students and families to join our mission.

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But!  Why would we accept this kind of government funding when it has eschewed all others?  Simply put, we do not see the requirements as egregious, and in fact, we are already conforming to most of the regulations that apply at the school level.  

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Importantly, this legislation includes the following provisions which protect us, our curriculum, and our methods:

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Sec. 3310.25 (C) states:

Each non-chartered/non-public school that participates in the program shall comply with the requirements prescribed under the program. However, such schools are autonomous and not an agent of the state or federal governments. Therefore, all of the following apply: 

1. The treasurer of state shall not regulate the curriculum, instructional methods, or other aspects of a school's educational program. 

2. The program does not expand the authority of the treasurer of state to impose on non-chartered/non-public schools any additional requirements beyond those expressly prescribed under the program. 

3. Non-chartered/non-public schools that participate in the program shall be given maximum freedom to provide for the educational needs of their students.

 

While this legislation passed as part of Ohio’s biennial budget, Governor DeWine vetoed it. 

I thought this was dead in the water until I learned that overriding the Governor’s veto of ESA’s ranks in the top five on the legislative agenda.  To override the Governor, the Legislature must have a supermajority of 60% in both chambers.  I also learned that we already have the votes in the Senate to override the Governor, but that we are not quite there in the House.

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Since then, the leadership of various non-chartered/non-public schools and organizations supportive of our cause like Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) and Americans for Prosperity (AFP) have been working to get the word out about our schools.

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Here is our plan:

1. Statewide school and organizational leadership will meet with Representatives to promote our schools and this cause.

2. We will ask our school community members to contact key Representatives to vote for an override if it is brought up for a vote.

 

In order for this to pass, the Representatives need to hear from us in huge numbers.  While there are a number of non-chartered/non-public schools across the state, our schools are largely unknown to the Representatives.  If this is going to go forward, no one else is going to communicate with the Representatives in our place – it’s up to us.  

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What can you do?  We need every person of voting age (both husbands and wives, adult children, friends of our school, etc.) in our community to send individual emails to 3 key Representatives (individually, not as a group) who are undecided or leaning no on this matter by November 16, 2025.  The Representatives need to hear from us in meaningful numbers.  

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We included a sample template letter, or you can make up your own. The most important thing is to send a clear message, even if it is very brief and to the point.  We do not normally make this kind of request of our community – but now is a crucial time for us to take action to advocate on behalf of our school, our families, and our children.  Can we count on your support?

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Here is a sample letter. Please use the 3 links below to auto import the proper email addresses. You can send the same letter to all 3. All that we ask is it is personalized to each representative. 

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Dear Representative ______________,

   I'm emailing you to encourage you to override Governor DeWine's veto of the Educational Savings Account (ESA) legislation that the Legislature passed with the biennial budget. This legislation is essential for the families that desire their children to be educated in the non-chartered/non-public schools. Thank you for your consideration.

 

Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]​​