Among Governor George Voinovich’s responses to the state Supreme Court’s mandate to overhaul Ohio’s school finance system was a proposal that would allow parents to deduct up to $1,000 from their taxable income to help offset the cost of educating their child either at a public or a private school. Although the governor’s plan was quickly killed in the Ohio Senate, Buckeye Institute President Richard C. Leonardi argues that the merits of tax relief and school choice deserve serious consideration by Ohio policymakers.
Last year, Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson increased a popular education tax deduction and established a $1,000 per student refundable tax credit for education expenses incurred at public and private schools. In Arizona, lawmakers established a tax credit of $500 for contributions to organizations providing scholarships to children attending non-government schools.
“Ohio cannot leave innovation in other states and still expect to keep pace,” warns Leonardi.