Politics
Ohio’s Private-School Voucher Spending Reached $1.17 Billion in FY 2026
Ohio paid $1.173 billion through five private-school scholarship programs in fiscal 2026, the second consecutive year voucher spending topped $1 billion. The total comes as public-school enrollment declines and a state appeals court has ruled the EdChoice voucher program unconstitutional, a decision the state plans to challenge.
Ohio spent $1.173 billion on five private-school voucher programs in fiscal year 2026, according to state education department data—slightly below the $1.18 billion forecast by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.
Nearly half of the spending, $532.8 million, went to the Education Choice Expansion program. The state has offered near-universal eligibility for that program since lawmakers broadened it three years ago to include families earning up to 450% of the federal poverty level. It was the second year in a row that voucher spending exceeded $1 billion.
The figures are fueling renewed criticism from public-school advocates, who say the state is sending substantial public funds to private schools while public schools remain short of full and fair funding. “It’s frustrating to see this amount of money going to vouchers when our public schools still are not fully and fairly funded,” said Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers.
Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing questioned the allocation of more than $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds to private schools, which he described as “largely unaccountable.” Wensing also argued that many families receiving EdChoice and expansion scholarships already had children enrolled in private schools.
The five programs are Education Choice, Education Choice Expansion, Cleveland Scholarship, Autism Scholarship and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship. The expansion program awarded more than 105,000 scholarships, averaging $5,114 each. Traditional EdChoice awarded more than 42,000 scholarships totaling $284.6 million. The autism program paid $186.7 million to more than 6,000 recipients, averaging $30,318 per scholarship; the Jon Peterson program paid $114.2 million to more than 9,000 recipients. Cleveland’s program awarded more than 8,000 scholarships totaling $55.09 million.
A state appeals court ruled Oct. 15 that the EdChoice voucher program is unconstitutional. Interim Republican Attorney General Andy Wilson said the state would appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. The ruling does not end the program while the appeal proceeds.
Meanwhile, Ohio public-school enrollment fell to 1,629,346 students in the 2025-26 school year, down from 1,652,539 the year before. Nonpublic-school enrollment rose to 185,584 in fiscal 2026, from 181,244 in fiscal 2025, according to state figures.
Voucher payments have grown sharply in recent years: the five programs totaled $1.09 billion in fiscal 2025, $970.7 million in 2024 and $610.2 million in 2023. The latest total underscores the growing budgetary stakes of Ohio’s school-choice policy as legal challenges and debate over public-school funding continue.