Stephen Hanzley attended the Poland Board of Education meeting Wednesday to support the board’s move to join the state’s school voucher lawsuit, which Poland’s board members agreed to do in a 4-1 vote.

POLAND — The school district’s board has joined a lawsuit opposing vouchers for Ohio’s private schools.

Calling the action illegal, members entered the Vouchers Hurt Ohio litigation with a 4-1 vote Wednesday at its regular meeting.

The case has extended into next year, which permits more districts to sign onto the suit.

At the September board meeting, residents and retired Youngstown State University professor Stephen Hanzley urged members to join the lawsuit. Hanzley said that throughout Ohio, approximately 300 public districts schools are listed as plaintiffs. Hanzley started urging board members to join the lawsuit in June.

He said at the last month’s regular meeting that the state’s budget bill passed in spring of 2023 had $2 billion budgeted to cover the cost vouchers. That bill, according to Hanzely, provided $8,407 per year for high school students and $6,165 for the lower grades.

“In Poland, the vouchers are growing,” Hanzely said. “There used to be around 20 students in private schools in Poland. That number is now around 200.”

To join the lawsuit, Poland had to pass a resolution.

‘The original lawsuit was to be heard today before Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza N. Page. Hanzley said the judge postponed the matter to 2025 to give more districts a chance to sign on.

“Because of her full docket, it won’t be heard until early 2025,” Hanzley said.

Even with Poland schools joining, Hanzley said he will continue to stay connected to the Equity and Adequacy Coalition for updates. The next move for Poland, according to district Superintendent Craig Hockenberry, is to complete paperwork and pay a $2 per pupil fee.

“We will have to pay about $3,400,” he said.

Board members Laurent Dinopoulos, Jeff Sabrin, Michelle Elia and Larry Warren agreed to the move. Casting the lone no vote was Gregg Riddle, who said he was not happy with the fee.

“I had previously shared at the work session that I did not want to spend my tax dollars on this organization that is so politically biased,” he said. “Vouchers have been talked about in the state House for many years, and it was stated they are ‘unconstitutional.’

“Not unconstitutional, in the opinion of the coalition for Equity and Adequacy. I vowed to protect and defend the constitution of the state of Ohio and felt that the constitution would permit the process to play out without giving money to this organization. That was before the case was postponed.”

With Tuesday’s election that includes races for Ohio’s Supreme Court and a constitutional amendment on the Kentucky ballot over vouchers, Riddle said he believed investment might not do any good.

“I felt our $2 per student could be better spent.”