Letters To The Editor

Verify school
voucher system
To the editor: On March 19, there were thousands of Ohioans going to the polls and voting for or against local school levies. If approved, the money these levies generate will be appropriated in local school board meetings governed by Ohio Sunshine Laws, which states that all district level decisions must be made in a public forum board of education meeting. Every one of these school districts will be subject to a yearly audit by the Ohio Auditor’s Office where every expenditure will be scrutinized.
However, there is an estimated $1 billion of our tax dollars being funneled away from these public schools and given to private schools in the form of vouchers. There are no boards of education governed by Ohio’s sunshine laws at these private schools. There is no public forum where the private school’s expenditures can be scrutinized by the taxpayers who are funding these vouchers. None of these public schools will be audited by the Ohio Auditor's Office. Quite simply, the voucher money that private schools are receiving can be spent in any way they see fit.
Any student who walks into a public school where he/she resides is absolutely entitled to an education in that school district. Private schools can pick and choose who they let in and who they keep. They can send a student back to their public school if they are a discipline problem. They can send them back to their public school if they are disabled and they do not have the resources or the patience to teach this child.
If private schools are going to accept large sums of money from the state
government it is time they be held to the same standard as the public schools.
They must educate every single student that wants to attend their school. If the student has a discipline problem they need to figure out a way to sort that out and help that child. If the student is disabled in any way they need to provide services that student needs to get a free and appropriate education as the public schools are mandated to do. And last but not least, every private school needs to have a board of education that conducts their meetings in the open and according to Ohio’s sunshine laws so the methods of how they are spending the money they receive from the state is being spent as well as a yearly visit by auditor's office.

Martin W. Perlaky
Oregon

Let the people
decide election
To the editor: The preamble of our Constitution says, “We the People.”
If it is We the People then why all the shenanigans against a candidate for president of the United States? Instead of trying to have the courts decide an election, it is time for the people to decide. It is always the people's time. It is called a republic.
We get to look at all candidates with their personal warts but more importantly their policies and then decide who we want to lead our country.
It is not We the Courts who should decide, it is We the People. Those who vote!
Steve Cherry
Oregon