Elizabeth Haddle, Mathews School Board

12/19/2025

Private schools need to be held accountable and to the same standard as public schools!

Accountability for public funds absent in Ohio voucher schools—by William L. Phillis

The column below appeared in the print version of the Columbus Dispatch on December 14.

The constituents in each of the Ohio House of Representatives and Senate districts should hold their respective House and Senate legislators accountable for appropriating funds for which accountability and transparency is totally lacking.

Accountability for public funds absent in Ohio voucher schools
Your Turn
William L. Phillis Guest Columnist

The Sept. 25 Columbus Dispatch provided space for a long guest column from Troy McIntosh to proffer his defense of tax-funded private schools being exempt from public transparency and accountability. He alluded to my recent guest column in the Columbus Dispatch. He refers to me three times but does not once quote anything I actually wrote in the recent column. It appears that McIntosh merely referred to my column as a hook to promote his contention that private schools are accountable and transparent even though they operate out of public view and are not answerable to the public.

McIntosh and fellow travelers on the golden brick EdChoice voucher tax-funded road resist any and all state requirements that would make private schools accountable and transparent to those that pay the taxes which support their operation.

My Sept. 5 guest column merely declared that nonprofit organizations, including private schools that receive public funds, should be transparent and accountable for the public funds they spend. Many private schools receive more than 80% of their budget from taxpayers in terms of vouchers, Nonpublic Administrative Cost Reimbursement, and Auxiliary Services, as well as student transportation. Private schools received over $1.2 billion tax dollars in fiscal year 2025 from vouchers, direct service payments and student transportation with no transparency or accountability to the public.

Mr. McIntosh writes, “If the state is going to compel schooling, then it must offer families the freedom to take their funding to the school of their choice rather than violate their conscience.” The state has always permitted parents to educate their children in private schools as long as they use “their personal funds” to pay for it. It is absurd for individuals to claim that the taxes collected by the state still belong to themselves.

“Their funding” must come from their personal bank account, not tax funds collected by the state. Tax-funded vouchers take money I pay in taxes to fund someone else’s religious views to which I may not subscribe.

Mr. McIntosh states in his column: “School choice provides the highest level of accountability to Ohio citizens.”

How so, Mr. McIntosh? Are private school board members elected by the public? Do private schools issue state report cards to the public? Are the salaries of private school personnel published in the newspaper? Does the Auditor of State audit private school finances? Are private schools subject to the state’s Sunshine Laws? Are private schools required to enroll all students that apply? Do private school students enjoy due process of law with regard to suspensions, expulsion and discipline? Are private schools subject to state and federal laws regarding the rights of children with disabilities? The list could go on.

“Education freedom programs like EdChoice are what will ultimately deliver the accountability we all desire,” says Mr. McIntosh. Not so, Mr. McIntosh. “Education freedom” programs, without private school accountability for the tax funds spent, will lead to fraud and corruption, such as is documented in Arizona. Currently in Ohio there is absolutely no accountability for tax funds spent on private schools. All parents can opt for education freedom programs, but it should be at their own expense. The state has no constitutional obligation or right to fund the private education choice of anyone.

Mr. McIntosh’s view of accountability for the use of tax dollars in private schools is that students can drop out of a private school if dissatisfied. The level of satisfaction of students enrolled in private school is completely unrelated to the matter of accountability in the use of tax funds in private ventures.

The Ohio Constitution provides that the General Assembly “shall make such provisions, by taxation…as will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state; but that no religious sect or other sect shall ever have any exclusive right to, or control of, any part of the school funds of the state.” (Article VI, section 2).

Every student has the right to participate in the common school system. Not one dime of the school funds is authorized by the constitution to be used by or controlled by a religious or other sect. Period!

Voucher advocates typically ignore the Ohio constitutional provision for education.

They appeal to the unfounded tax-supported “right” of students to a private education.

All students have the right to a tax-supported education within the constitutionally- required public common school system. All students also have the right to a private education at private expense.

Tax-funded education in Ohio must be confined to public domain – not in the private sector.

William L. Phillis is executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding.

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When we let vouchers drain our schools, it hurts us all.

12/18/2025

11/21/2025

The window for submitting Hall of Fame nominations will close on December 31st. The formal induction ceremony is scheduled for August 2026.
It’s a beautiful way to celebrate someone who has left his or mark in the districts history.

11/17/2025

Our nations 250 birthday is next year. Would you be interested in collaborating on a district-wide project to celebrate America 250, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to honor our nation? This is an opportunity to enhance our local culture. Some ideas:
1) we could hold an event at Booster Field. Have tents for local businesses, historical societies, organizations, booster clubs, churches and so forth to set up tables
2) have the band and scouts participate in a ceremony
3) involve local elected officials and community leaders in planning the event
4) collaborate with local historical societies
5) ask the BOE to pass a resolution designating Mathews as a 250 district. This could also be added to the monthly BOE agenda
6) art students could paint a mural at the school highlighting historical events of the past 250 years
7) partnering with the local historical societies to create a historical tour highlighting monuments, buildings and so forth. Maybe hold on one day with volunteers to discuss the significance of that site. Perhaps a card to mark off and use for prize entries. 8)highlight veteran graves and their stories from past 250 years
9) history/social study teachers could get involved by having students work on projects that could be presented in an open house at the elementary school in conjunction with the ceremony at Booster Field
10) I realize that the 4th is a family holiday but perhaps this celebration could be held the same weekend as Viennastock when a lot of alumni are in town

Some resources:
The Veterans Project this has several ideas including cemetery tours, info about revolutionary soldiers. Interviews with vets(these have been student projects) and so forth. https://www.thevetsproject.com/about
Local Amvets, VFW
America 250 https://america250-ohio.org
Ohio historical connection https://www.ohiohistory.org/
Infohio has a lot of fliers and ebooks for teachers and parents https://www.infohio.org/

l am sure there are many more resources and ideas just putting it out there to see if there is any interest. This is a huge project and would need volunteers.

Oh, 13 years from now current kindergartners will be celebrating the 250 anniversary of the US constitution. This project could lay the groundwork for that celebration.

In 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence - we are creating Ohio's celebration!

11/04/2025

10/21/2025

Staff report The Ohio Educational Service Center Association honored state Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Niles, as its Legislative Leadership ...

10/18/2025

There are two differing major schools of thought about property taxes: one group wants to completely abolish property taxes (this group has gained momentum and may be successful). In the meantime, Ohios legislators are working hard to find solutions.

My own view is to give the government time to work on and implement solutions. It would be very beneficial if public services, libraries and so forth worked on strategies to reduce overhead and realign budgets instead of lobbying for increased funding. I hate paying high property taxes BUT I am concerned about crumbling our infrastructure. The reality is very likely that property taxes may be eliminated and entities need to have a plan B in place.
From an AI search:
Abolishing property taxes would eliminate a major source of local government revenue, leading to severe cuts in essential services like schools, public safety, and infrastructure, unless the lost funds are replaced by other taxes. The economic consequences would likely include an increase in property values, a significant rise in sales or income taxes, and disproportionate negative effects on lower-income and middle-class residents.
Impact on public services and local governments
Devastated public services: Property taxes are a primary tool for funding local services such as police, fire, EMS, and public schools. Without this revenue, these services would be defunded and could face closure.
Massive revenue gap: Property taxes are the largest source of state and local revenue in the U.S.. Eliminating them would create a massive hole in local budgets, which would be difficult, if not impossible, to fill.
Loss of local control: Property taxes give local governments direct control over funding decisions for their communities. Abolishing them would shift that power to the state level, which would then be responsible for distributing replacement funds. This could result in funding formulas that do not meet local needs.
Shift in tax burden
Increased sales or income taxes: To replace the lost revenue, states would need to dramatically increase other taxes, with sales and income taxes being the most likely candidates.
Some estimates show sales taxes would need to rise to double-digit percentages to compensate.
Disproportionate effect on lower-income individuals: Since sales taxes are regressive, relying more heavily on them to fund local services would place a greater tax burden on lower-income and middle-class households, while disproportionately benefiting wealthy property owners.
Effects on the housing market and economy
Rising property values: In the short term, eliminating property taxes could boost the real estate market and increase property values by removing a recurring expense for homeowners. This could drive up demand but might also lead to higher prices.
Incentivized land hoarding: The change would benefit large property and development firms, potentially incentivizing them to hold onto vacant properties for longer, further exacerbating the affordability crisis and increasing the wealth gap.
Impact on renters: While some argue that rent prices might stabilize, it is more likely that landlords would pocket the savings, while renters are hit by higher sales taxes.
Alternatives to outright abolition
Given the destructive impact of complete abolition, alternatives focus on targeted relief rather than a full repeal. These include:
Circuit breakers: A "circuit breaker" program can limit property taxes as a percentage of income, providing relief for low-income families.
Targeted relief: Providing aid to vulnerable populations like seniors or those on fixed incomes could address the regressive nature of property taxes without crippling local services.
Improving the system: Rather than eliminating property taxes, reforms could focus on improving assessment practices and transparency.n

10/18/2025

There are no stipulations or income requirements.

09/22/2025

Publicly funded schools in Ohio deserve funding priority over private schools. Since private schools generate revenue through tuition and receive substantial donations, it is unreasonable to allocate taxpayer funds to subsidize private education for affluent families.