Help Me Understand – Apples, Oranges, and Accountability in Ohio’s Private Schools

In Ohio, two pieces of legislation — Ohio HB715 and Ohio SB443, the Take the Dough, We Gotta Know Act  — are being promoted as measures to bring “accountability” to private schools that participate in the state’s scholarship programs, including EdChoice, EdChoice Expansion, and the Cleveland Scholarship Program.

At first glance, the concept of accountability sounds reasonable. After all, families and taxpayers alike want to ensure students receive a quality education and that public resources are used responsibly.

But there is an important question Ohio families should ask:  Does accountability for private schools already exist? The answer is yes — extensively and the data is readily available.

The debate surrounding these bills is built on an implication that Ohio private schools receiving scholarship funds operate without oversight or standards. That narrative simply does not reflect reality. 

Multiple Layers of Accountability Already Exist

Ohio’s participating private schools already operate under multiple layers of accountability to participate in scholarship programs.

1. The Chartering and Scholarship Approval Process

Before a private school can even participate in Ohio’s scholarship programs, it must go through an approval process with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). Schools must meet requirements to become chartered and maintain eligibility to serve scholarship students. Participation is not automatic.

2. Annual Recertification

Private schools participating in scholarship programs are not approved indefinitely. Schools must complete an annual recertification process through ODEW to continue serving scholarship students. This ongoing review ensures schools continue meeting state expectations and operational requirements.

3. Required State Testing

Private schools accepting scholarship students are already required to administer state-approved standardized assessments. This provides measurable academic data and allows the state to monitor educational outcomes.

4. Ohio Operating Standards

Ohio chartered private schools must comply with Ohio’s Operating Standards, which govern educational quality, student records, attendance, curriculum expectations, health and safety measures, and other operational requirements. These are not optional guidelines — they are mandatory requirements schools must follow.

5. Certified Teachers & Background Checks

Participating schools must employ properly credentialed educators, and staff members undergo criminal background checks. This is another layer of protection already embedded in Ohio law.

6. Desk Audits and Government Oversight

Private schools participating in scholarship programs are already subject to desk audits and oversight by ODEW. Additionally, many schools are governed by nonprofit structures and are subject to oversight from the Ohio Attorney General and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

7. School Boards and Governance

Most private schools have an additional accountability structure through their boards of directors or governing bodies, which oversee operations, finances, and strategic direction.  Additionally schools participate in an accreditation process which is an extensive review of operations, finance, curriculum, student outcomes, teaching credentialing and school leadership.

8. The Most Important Accountability: Families

Perhaps most importantly, private schools are accountable to the families they serve. Unlike traditional systems where students are assigned based on geography, families in scholarship programs actively choose where their children attend school.  If a school is not meeting expectations, families can leave.  That direct accountability to parents is one of the strongest forms of educational accountability that exists.

What School Choice Ohio Is Saying

School Choice Ohio President Eric “Yitz” Frank recently addressed concerns surrounding these proposals and the process used to develop them:

“As one of the Senators mentioned in the press conference, the sponsors did not engage with interested parties or potential opponents at all. While we’re sure the education unions involved in the drafting of this bill offered valuable information, had they bothered to do more research, they would have learned that much of the information and mandates the legislation seeks is already required by Ohio law.

Ohio already regulates private schools and by extension our nation leading school choice programs more than any similar state. Ohio private schools follow operating standards, have certified teachers with background checks, administer standardized tests, are subject to desk audits from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and are further regulated by the Ohio Attorney General and Internal Revenue Service.

From the cheeky name, to the timing, to the lack of engagement with anyone but known parental choice opponents, its hard to imagine the sponsors, let alone the Ohio General Assembly will take this seriously.”

Frank’s comments underscore a key concern raised by families and education advocates: creating additional mandates without acknowledging existing oversight risks misleading the public into believing no accountability currently exists.

The Bigger Question

Ohio families deserve transparency and thoughtful policymaking.  But meaningful conversations about education policy should begin with an honest understanding of the systems already in place.

The reality is that Ohio private schools participating in scholarship programs are already highly regulated and accountable — through state oversight, annual reviews, testing requirements, operating standards, audits, governance, and family choice.

As lawmakers debate HB715 and SB443, Ohio parents should ask: Are these proposals solving a real problem — or creating more bureaucracy around systems that are already accountable?  Is Ohio trying to create a comparison of apples to oranges?

Because when it comes to Ohio school choice, accountability is not absent. It already exists.