Two residents urge Austintown board to join lawsuit opposing private-school voucher program

Two residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to ask the Austintown Local School District Board of Education to join a lawsuit opposing Ohio’s private-school voucher program, saying the district has already lost students and state funding as a result.

Barbara Brothers, who identified herself as an Austintown Fitch graduate and a Youngstown resident, urged the board to support “the lawsuit, and vouchers,” saying taxpayers and the school system need protection and that district funding should prioritize public schools. She told the board, “You have clear evidence of the fact that that is going for private students,” and argued that taxpayers have no oversight over how voucher funds are spent.

Amanda Paulbaum, who identified herself as a resident of Austintown and a professor at Youngstown State University, told the board Austintown has “already lost a substantial number of students and funding as a result of the harmful private school voucher program.” Paulbaum said the district “lose[s] over $6,000 for every kindergarten through 8th grade student, $8,400 for every high school student,” as a result of students enrolling outside the district under the voucher program. “I want Austintown Schools to fulfill its mission,” she said, repeating the district mission read earlier in the meeting and urging the board to “please join the lawsuit against the vouchers.”

The transcript shows public comment only; the board did not make a recorded motion or vote during the Jan. 14 meeting to join or endorse litigation regarding the voucher program.

Ending

Speakers urged board action to protect district funding and students; no formal board action on the suggestion to join the voucher lawsuit was recorded at the meeting.