About 75,000 K-12 students participate in Ohio’s school voucher programs, most of whom can choose to attend a charter or private school instead of a public school by either living in the boundaries of a low-performing school or by household income. Gov. Mike DeWine wants to expand the largest existing voucher program, EdChoice, by increasing income limits, at a cost to the state of about $22 million this year. But a bill in the Ohio House would make vouchers universal and allow students to use them to pay for private schools that do not follow state dictates for the the number of school days, curriculum, teacher credentialing, standardized testing or record keeping. The bill also would award vouchers for home schooling. Cost of the program: $1.13 billion in its first year if all 185,400 newly eligible students took advantage of the program. In the background is a separate House bill that would flatten the state income tax and cut $1.2 billion to local governments and public schools. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Northeast Ohio Wednesday weather forecast: Sunny and cold |
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House Bill 11 is known as the “backpack bill" because state funds would follow students to whatever school their families choose – traditional public, charter, private and home schools. |
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Backpack bill: An Ohio House bill would allow more students to obtain vouchers to pay for private school and home school tuition: up to $5,500 for students in grades K-8 and $7,500 for grades 9-12. Laura Hancock reports that’s according to a six-page fiscal report for House Bill 11 by the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission, which is tasked with putting a price tag on all legislation that is expected to cost the state money. Householder trial: An assistant U.S. Attorney distilled a complex criminal allegation into a simple closing argument for jurors to follow: Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder accepted $60 million in campaign cash from FirstEnergy knowing the money came with the expectation of passing a $1.3 billion legislative bailout. Jake Zuckerman reports prosecutors say Republican Party chairman Matt Borges joined the conspiracy with his “eyes open” – fully aware of a fundamentally corrupt relationship between Householder and the Akron-based, investor-owned utility. Defense attorneys in their closing called the case a “nothing-burger” and said the FBI conducted a “shoddy” investigation, Zuckerman and Adam Ferrise report. Police shifts: In their push to fix the shortage of police officers, Cleveland officials offered up a plan that met quick resistance: The city wanted uniformed officers to work 12-hour shifts, reports Olivia Mitchell. The move, struck down by the police union, highlights the city’s desperation to fill the gaps in a department that has lost about 300 officers in recent years. Today in Ohio: Cuyahoga County prosecutors charged 35 youths with murder or aggravated murder in 2022, a 52% jump from 2021′s total of 23. There were also 19 children slain, up from 13 in 2021. We’re talking about youth gun violence not seen since the 1990s on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour podcast. |
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Drug overdoses: A new state website lays out a litany of information for the public on drug overdoses in Ohio, including trends by county, drug, time period, and treatment medication. Jeremy Pelzer reports the online dashboards, unveiled Tuesday, are aimed at helping local organizations and communities better respond to overdoses as trends change. Jim Jordan: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Tuesday added Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives chief Steve Dettelbach to the long list of witnesses he wants to testify in front of his committee. Sabrina Eaton reports Jordan, a Champaign County Republican, has announced a long list of investigations since becoming committee chairman in January. |
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Climate change: Climate change is expected to be a big part of Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s agenda going forward as evidenced by his participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November. Peter Krouse reports Ronayne is already talking about changing the name of the county’s Department of Sustainability to reflect an emphasis on climate issues, as well as encouraging the transition to electric vehicles within the county fleet as an example to others. Ronayne positions: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne is restructuring his cabinet to reflect his priorities and provide better oversight, even giving some positions, like the sheriff, more direct access to his office. It’s a move that’s costing at least an extra $400,000 to start. But Ronayne’s Chief of Staff Eric Wobser said the county still expects to end the year under budget as they consider clawing back raises for some of the top leadership and struggle to fill 600 vacancies across every department, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Norfolk Southern: A worker died early Tuesday after a large dump truck struck a Norfolk Southern train at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works. Louis Shuster, 46, of Broadview Heights, suffered injuries near the railroad tracks at the site of the flat-rolled steel company on West Third Street. National Park: Created in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, the National Park System was designated for its natural beauty, unique geological features, diverse ecosystems and recreational opportunities. These public lands are federally protected to preserve recreational opportunities for all Americans. In 2022, the nation’s 63 national parks had 317 million visitors. Zachary Smith compiles a list of the closest national parks to Cleveland using Tripadvisor rankings. St. Patrick’s Day: The theme of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cleveland is “A Salute to Irish American Athletes.” The parade kicks off at 1:04 p.m. Friday, March 17, reports Marc Bona. Plant roots: In the rainy months of spring in Northeast Ohio, when March Mudness has returned, Susan Brownstein thinks about an often-overlooked plant attribute: the size of its root structure to help sop up the water in the yard. |
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Play House: Two grievances filed against Cleveland Play House relating to the scrapped production of “I’m Back Now: Returning to Cleveland” have been “satisfactorily resolved,” Joey Morona reports. The theater sent an email to patrons on Monday outlining the changes and improvements it plans to implement after CPH’s mishandling of a sexual assault of a cast member in January. Humanities: The 2023 Cleveland Humanities Festival is hosting 35-plus free public events through May exploring “wellness” through art, literature, music and more at various venues in Greater Cleveland, reports Paris Wolfe. |
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National Transportation Safety Board opens probe of Norfolk Southern after train accidents Read more ODNR officer accused of shooting parents in their home in southwest Ohio Read more An exotic cat, with cocaine in its system, is caught in Cincinnati Read more Brecksville-Broadview Heights Schools to sell former Highland Drive school for $1.1 million to home developer Read more Cleveland Heights dog walkers, take your marks -- in all city parks Read more Strongsville receives another NOPEC grant for town center improvement project Read more Cleveland Heights mayor presents ‘first cut’ draft of ARPA projects to council Read more Plan for 60 townhomes at Broadview & Boston roads in Broadview Heights wins preliminary approval Read more |
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