This letter to the editor was first published in the print edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Ohio General Assembly should be commended for creating OhioACE to help families afford educational support after COVID-19 school closures dramatically set students back academically. This is why the difficulties families reported in the July 2 article are troubling.

While The Buckeye Institute understands the need for fiscal responsibility outlined by the program vendor, it should not come at the cost of denying aid to those who need it most. The current implementation falls short of achieving state leaders’ goals, but there is still time to fix the reimbursement problems.

To do so, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce should work collaboratively with the vendor to streamline reimbursements and the education provider approval processes while improving communication with families.

The Buckeye Institute has long argued for programs like OhioACE to provide families with resources and access to greater educational options, and Buckeye stands ready to work with state officials to properly administer the program while implementing policy solutions that maintain fiscal integrity and effectively get funds into the hands of needy families.

Greg R. Lawson
The Buckeye Institute
Columbus