Ohio Republican lawmakers push for revised school voucher program

Ohio parents could soon see more taxpayer money in their pockets to help send their schoolchildren to private and religious schools, or fund homeschooling, under changes to a voucher program that Republican state lawmakers and the governor must hammer out by month’s end.

Ohio has had some form of vouchers since 1996, but learning setbacks prompted by pandemic-era education disruptions, cultural battles over gender and race, and a national movement for parental rights have led to a larger push in Ohio and other states to make them more widely available.

Advocates applaud it as expanding school choice, while opponents say such programs divert funding from public schools and violate Ohio's constitution.

Here’s a look at where things stand and where they could go: