SOLON, OH--Today the Ohio Senate will vote on a bill regarding the Cleveland School Choice Pilot Program.  Many claim the bill restores the plan that was struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court.  In fact, the current bill is a serious departure from the original bill and radically alters the plan to the demise of Cleveland parents and children. 

Ohio Roundtable President David Zanotti issued the following statement today calling for the Senate to immediately amend the bill for the sake of protecting the integrity of the pilot program. 

"When this program was originally designed the plan was to extend the scholarships to students through their elementary school years.  The legislature agreed to increase funding in each budget cycle so that a child beginning the program in kindergarten could be assured of finishing their elementary schooling without interruption.  This year the Governor's budget and the House budget would have continued that process of funding K-8 for the children that began in the program in 1996."

"The new Senate bill cuts the program off at grade 5.  That means that children already in the program will be thrown out this fall.  Children entering this fall can count only on a scholarship through fifth grade.  Most elementary schools operate K-8 or K-6. these scholarship kids are now being told to pack up and leave before they have a chance to graduate from grade school.  How is that fair to children and parents in the pilot plan?"

"The Ohio Senate is playing politics with a program that is changing lives for the better in Cleveland.  This is wrong and should be immediately corrected.  The Senate should amend the school choice bill to permit children enrolled in the program to finish their elementary years without fear of being thrown out of school."

"Furthermore, by making this change, the Senate radically alters the opportunity being offered parents.  This will diminish parental support for the plan, limit participation and alter the model of the pilot plan.  Research on the pilot plan will be totally inconsistent from this point forward because of these radical changes."

"What began as a good opportunity for urban parents is becoming a political headache.   Parent's don't like being toyed with by politicians.  They don't like their children being used as experiments.  The Senate should restore the school plan to its original intentions."

The Ohio Roundtable has been involved with school choice issues for the past decade.   David Zanotti also serves as Chairman of the School Choice Committee, a group of community leaders, lawmakers and clergy committed to supporting educational alternatives in Ohio. 

The Ohio Roundtable is a non-profit, non-partisan education and research organization supported by business leaders and families across the state. 

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