DEAR EDITOR:

I write in response to the July 30 Vindicator editorial, which expressed the opinion that Ohio’s state budget money should not be earmarked to replace old or outdated public school buildings, as was recently attempted for the Canfield School District.

The newspaper’s editorial board felt this action “would have set a dangerous precedent involving school districts around the state also seeking state funding for new buildings,” and that new construction should be funded through local levies.

The editorial did not point out that Ohio’s new two-year state budget allocates nearly $2 billion for private school vouchers to be used by any child, regardless of family income level, removing those funds from use by local public school

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, is now so worried that families in some rural areas won’t have anywhere to spend all their free voucher money that he proposes using Ohioans’ tax revenue to build private schools in those areas!

We may not agree on the fairest way to repair or rebuild public school structures, but we should all draw the line at using our public money to build private schools.

Imagine how our public schools, underfunded for decades, could thrive with that $2 billion put back into them to improve the buildings! It would seem to be more of an aspirational, not “dangerous” precedent, to reinforce public schools rather than promote private school attendance.

GERALYN SLIPSKI

Canfield