Catholic Conference of Ohio
Saturday, June 3, 2023

Education Department - Catholic Conference of Ohio

About the Education Department

The Catholic Conference of Ohio's Department on Education serves those involved in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, religious education, youth and young adult ministry, and college campus ministry. 

Resources

Legislative Report on Education Policy & Budgetary Report - Winter & Spring 2022

Legislative Report on Items in HB 110 (State Budget) Impacting Chartered Nonpublic Schools - Summer 2021

Fact Sheet on Catholic Schools in Ohio with Summary of Programs of Tax-Supported Assistance for Students, Families and Educators- 2021

Special Needs Children:

EasyDNNNews

Ohio House Adds Additional Funding for Programs Helping Catholic School Students

Auxiliary Services and Administrative Cost Reimbursement Programs Increased

The Ohio House Finance Committee added additional support for two programs helping Catholic school students. The House Ominbus Amendment increased GRF appropriation for nonpublic administrative cost reimbursement by $816,000 in FY22 and $1.6 million in FY23. It also increased the maximum per-pupil amount of administrative cost reimbursement payments to nonpublic schools for each of FY22 and FY23 from $466 to $475.

The amendment also increased GRF appropriation to Auxiliary Services  by $1.8 million in FY22 and $3.65 million in FY23. 

The full House is expected to pass this substitute version of the budget bill (HB 110).  Action and advacacy will now occur in the Ohio Senate.  Emphasis will be upon maintaining gains made in the House version, while encouraging improvements in the EdChoice programs, school transportation, and funding for housing and hunger programs. A balanced budget must be enacted by July 1, 2021.

Catholic Conference Issues Letter to Ohio House Members Regarding the Proposed State Budget

HB 110 Under Consideration in House Finance Committee

The Ohio House is finalizing their version of the state budget, HB 110. The Ohio Senate has begun their hearings.  A balanced budget must be enacted by July 1, 2021.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio issued a letter to all House members supporting features in the current version and recommending areas for improvement. The letter called attention to the Church's strong support for programs that assist people who are poor and vulnerable, and the Church's strong support for programs that help Catholic school students.

Education Action Alert 4-16-21

Health & Human Services Recommendations
Education Recommendations

Ohio Catholic School Superintendents Address the Value of EdChoice Vouchers

Cincinnati Enquirer article pans Ohio EdChoice scholarship programs

The Catholic School Superintendents of Ohio issued a joint Response to an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer that questioned the value of private school vouchers.

The Response stated:  "..The metric used in this article, comparing public districts to non-public schools on state testing, is deeply flawed and overly simplistic. This inaccurate analysis is at best misguided, or worse, inherently biased against non-public schools, including many faith-based schools that parents freely choose with state scholarships. This is more of an “apples to blueberries” than and “apples to apples” comparison..."

The Response encouraged that Catholic schools and public schools be viewed as partners rather than competitors.

Bishops Praise Supreme Court Decisions Recognizing Religious Liberty (U.S. Supreme Court Part 3)

Religious Freedom upheld in two cases

The Supreme Court of the United States has issued its decision in the consolidated cases of Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James School v. Biel. These cases involved the right of Catholic schools, free of government interference, to choose teachers who will teach and model the Catholic faith. By a vote of 7-2, the Court ruled in favor of the schools.

In the Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania case, the Court affirmed that religious employers cannot be forced to provide contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans, if doing so would violate that organization's religious beliefs.

Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, Bishop Michael C. Barber, S.J. of Oakland, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education issued a joint statement on Guadalupe decision. Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a joint statment on the Little Sisters decision.

 

Law Briefs: Special Edition July 13, 2020 USCCB Legal Summary of the Cases
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State Scholarship Programs

Learn about the various Scholarship Programs available to Catholic Schools in Ohio.

Learn more

Links

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Diocese of Cleveland

Diocese of Columbus

Diocese of Steubenville

Diocese of Toledo

Diocese of Youngstown


The Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association

Department Contacts

Larry Keough
Associate Director, Department on Education

Convenes and staffs the Superintendents of Catholic Schools and Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Directors

Superintendents of Schools
Chair: Adam Dufault, Diocese of Columbus

Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Chair: Richard Maume, Diocese of Toledo

Department Contacts

Theresa Bowser
Director, OCSAA

Convenes and staffs the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association (OCSAA)

Chair: Frank O'Linn, Diocese of Cleveland

Department Contacts

Brian Hickey
Executive Director, Catholic Conference of Ohio

Convenes and staffs the Directors of Religious Education and Campus Ministry

Directors of Religious Education
Chair: Chris Hoag, Diocese of Cleveland

Campus Ministry Directors:
Chair: Richard Maume, Diocese of Toledo