Columbus, OH – In a new policy memo, Expand Ohio ACE & Adopt a “Students First” Approach to Education Funding (see full text below or download a PDF), The Buckeye Institute urged Ohio lawmakers to transition to a “students first” approach to education funding and use a portion of the $2.6 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to expand the Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) program for students who lost classroom time during the pandemic.

In the memo, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that “learning loss threatens to derail academic and professional success for far too many students,” and pointed to studies from The Ohio State University and McKinsey and Company that show “many students may be anywhere from several months to a full academic year behind where they would have been without the COVID-19 interruption.”

To address this crisis, Lawson called on lawmakers to expand Ohio ACE eligibility from 300 percent to 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and, for K-12 students who lost classroom time during the pandemic, Lawson recommended increasing the student’s Ohio ACE contribution from $500 to $1,000. “To prevent further long-term damage, lawmakers should give families the financial resources needed to help close the educational gaps exposed by the pandemic,” Lawson noted as he urged lawmakers to transition to a “‘students first’ approach to education funding.”

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Expand Ohio ACE & Adopt a “Students First” Approach to Education Funding
By Greg R. Lawson
May 16, 2022

The Buckeye Institute’s Recommendation

With some of the state’s $2.6 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, Ohio should adopt a “students first” approach to education funding. State lawmakers should expand the Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) program to 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and increase K-12 education savings accounts—or ESAs—to $1,000 for ACE-eligible students who lost classroom time during the pandemic. 

Background

Long-term COVID-19 learning loss threatens to derail academic and professional success for far too many students. Pandemic-related education varies across Ohio schools and demographics, but studies—including those from The Ohio State University and McKinsey and Company—show that many students may be anywhere from several months to a full academic year behind where they would have been without the COVID-19 interruption. Left unaddressed, these lingering effects may significantly reduce lifetime earnings for today’s students. 

To avert this looming crisis, Ohio should enhance its current school choice options, which already include five voucher programs and a robust network of public charter schools. It should expand Ohio ACE eligibility from 300 percent to 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines—the same, top income level used for the EdChoice scholarship program. And, for ACE-eligible students who lost classroom time during the pandemic, Ohio should increase the student’s ESA contribution from $500 to $1,000. 

Flexible ESAs will help families close pandemic-related learning gaps. As The Buckeye Institute’s research shows, an expanded ESA program would enable parents to tailor their child’s education to better meet a student’s individual learning needs. ESAs can pay for private schools (as current voucher programs do) and can also pay for additional educational expenses such as textbooks, tutors, online classes, and even be saved for college.

Conclusion

Ohio’s K-12 students have been harmed by the COVID-19 disruption. To prevent further long-term damage, lawmakers should give families the financial resources needed to help close the educational gaps exposed by the pandemic. Wisely spent, ARPA dollars could help Ohio take a critical first step toward a “students first” approach to education funding with an expanded ACE program followed by making broad-based education savings accounts available to more families.

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