A GoFundMe will help cover the cost of Mentor Schools joining the statewide Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit.
This wasn’t a unanimous vote, and some questioned why the rush to join now.
In a 4-1 vote Tuesday night, the board voted to join about 300 other Ohio school districts in challenging the state’s EdChoice voucher program, which uses state funds to help families pay for private school tuition.
Voucher opponents say public money should support public schools.
Voucher supporters say parents deserve freedom to choose the school they see fit.
I asked Maggie Cook, Mentor School Board president, why vote to join the lawsuit now.
“Joining the lawsuit isn’t really a public versus private school issue,” she said. “It’s a taxpayer issue and it’s a school funding issue.”
She said Ohio has a school funding crisis. She told me she’s been watching the lawsuit for a while and the tipping point for her was Mentor’s levy failure in May.
“The taxpayers are telling us we need you to make cuts, we need you to tighten the belt for us, and we need you to go to the state for us,” she said.
Mentor has committed to cutting $6.6 million heading into this upcoming school year and is planning an additional $3.5 million in cuts the year after.
The district also plans to go back on the ballot in November with a lower levy ask. It is expected to be a 3.5 mil levy for five years that would generate about $9.6 million a year, with a cost of $123 a year per $100,000 in property value.
Not everyone supports joining the lawsuit.
There was public comment at the board meeting Tuesday night for and against the decision.
A man who said he was a taxpayer and a grandparent of EdChoice students argued there’s no rush to join the lawsuit. Arguing it’ll likely take years to resolve, and the district could join later if need be.
He also said he believed the presentation the board received from Vouchers Hurt Ohio was one-sided.
“This is not the right thing for our district,” said Rose Ioppolo, board member. “It’s just not.”
Ioppolo voted against it. She cited a number of concerns, including for Mentor families who use vouchers and she challenged the use of taxpayer money to join the lawsuit against the state.
“I’d like to motion to add a ‘no public funds’ clause in here,” she said.
The amendment failed 2-3.
The cost to join the lawsuit against the state is $2 per student.
“Did you expect it to reach its goal so quickly,” I asked John Sanford.
“No,” he said.
Sanford is a Mentor resident, a school supporter, and a retired educator.
He started a GoFundMe to cover the cost to join the lawsuit, he said, after hearing people's concerns about using public money.
“Last week, a week ago last night, I put it online and in the ensuing period we’ve collected a little over $14,000 now,” said Sanford Wednesday.
That will cover the cost for the district to join the lawsuit this year.
“It’s going to cover the cost and be a nest egg for if they need to have it for next year,” he said.
He tells me nearly 130 people contributed.
It marks the first time crowdfunding has been used for a district's fee to join the voucher lawsuit.
“We have people from all over the political spectrum who are supporting this and it’s not just democrats but republicans too,” said Sanford. “It’s people who feel like the voucher system is unfair.”
Cook said the board can legally accept the donation and will officially vote to do so at their meeting in July.
The voucher lawsuit is currently in front of the 10th District Court of Appeals. It is expected to end up before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Any ruling in the case will apply to all Ohio school districts.
The cost to join covers the plaintiffs’ legal fight against the state.
Participating districts must pay every year the court battle continues.
Sanford said he plans to reopen the GoFundMe to cover future costs for Mentor, and in the next round, he’ll make it so it’s a tax-deductible donation.
Katie Ussin is the Lake County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @KatieUssin, on Facebook KatieUssin, Instagram Katie_Ussin_wews or email her at Katie.Ussin@wews.com.
