05/29/2026
Good morning,
This week’s Finance Friday highlights Senate Bill 443, introduced by Senators Louis Blessing and Kent Smith. The bill, known as the “Take the Dough, We Gotta Know” Act, focuses on transparency and accountability measures for private schools receiving EdChoice voucher funding.
According to the article, Senator Blessing stated that “if schools are going to take state dollars, there has to be a degree of transparency and oversight to that money.”
SB443 would require private schools receiving EdChoice funding to:
Participate in audits through the Ohio Auditor of State
Publish how state funding is spent
Report tuition rates from the past five years
Submit attendance, graduation, and dropout data
Participate in a report card system created by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
The article also states the report card system would allow for an “apples to apples” comparison of how schools spend state funding.
Supporters of the bill say the proposal is centered on accountability for public dollars. Karen Rego, president of the Cleveland Heights Teachers Union, noted that “Public schools are more heavily regulated than private schools and required to report on public dollars received, whereas private schools are not.”
Representative Justin Pizzulli added that the key to gaining support for the legislation is showing that “it’s about fairness.”
Senator Blessing also acknowledged that the bill’s transparency measures would require additional work from private schools, but stated, “If you’re going to take state dollars, you should have an expectation that it’s going to come with some strings. And in this case, it’s transparency and accountability.”
For more information, please reference the attached article or visit:
https://www.ohiosenate.gov/legislation/136/sb443
Thank you,
Claudia Zaler
Treasurer
Minford Local School District
491 Bond Rd.
PO Box 204
Minford, OH 45653
740-820-3896 ext. 3140
