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Parents, special‑needs schools ask Senate to raise John Peterson scholarship as wait lists grow
Summary
Representatives of Marburn Academy, Bridgeway Academy, New Story Schools and parents described lengthy wait lists and high per‑pupil costs for students with learning disabilities and autism and urged the Senate to increase the John Peterson and autism scholarship amounts in the budget.
Leaders of private special‑needs schools, parents and a student testified to the Senate Education Committee that Ohio's John Peterson special‑needs scholarship and autism scholarship need higher amounts to cover the actual costs of educating students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and complex behavioral needs.
Eldridge Carr (Marburn Academy), Holly Denson (parent), Julius Jenkins (former student/mentor), Jill Blanchard (New Story Schools) and Sherry Brandler (Bridgeway Academy) described full classrooms, specialized staff needs and wait lists that range from dozens to hundreds in some regions. Marburn and Bridgeway presented per‑student cost estimates and said that the House increase would be insufficient to meet program demand. Bridgeway said its average per‑student cost is roughly $50,451 and that current scholarship levels leave families with substantial out‑of‑pocket tuition.
Marburn families and a student, Elijah Denson, described life‑changing outcomes after enrolling and said the scholarship was essential to access. New Story Schools and Bridgeway urged increases in the budget to $36,000 (FY26) and $37,000 (FY27) with cost‑of‑living adjustments and asked lawmakers to consider annual updates to scholarship levels tied to program costs.
Why it matters: special‑needs placements are resource‑intensive and often require small ratios, specialized interventions and therapies; advocates said scholarship increases reduce family cost burdens and help schools hire and retain skilled staff.
What’s next: senators heard the testimony but did not vote; the committee will consider amendment language and scholarship increases as part of final budget negotiations.
