Why It Matters:

• In one of the nation’s firsts, Ohio is directly funding construction and building improvements at private religious schools – bringing additional funding beyond traditional tuition vouchers.

• State legislators included the funding in a larger budget bill, awarding over $4 million in grants to various private Catholic schools.

• Supporters of the funding charge that the grants will increase enrollment capacity at the nonpublic schools.

• The funding will likely be challenged in court and if upheld, Ohio’s precedent would encourage other states to invest more aggressively in school infrastructure.