In an Unprecedented Move, Ohio Is Funding the Construction of Private Religious Schools

“This is new, dangerous ground, funding new voucher schools,” said Josh Cowen, a senior fellow at the Education Law Center and the author of a new book on the history of billionaire-led voucher efforts. For decades, churches have relied on conservative philanthropy to be able to build their schools, Cowen said, or they’ve held fundraising drives or asked their diocese for help. They’ve never, until now, been able to build schools expressly on the public dime.