A state program that provides free taxpayer-funded tutoring and other afterschool services to children appears to have met a quiet end after the Trump administration pulled its funding.
The Afterschool Child Enrichment Program has been paused, according to a notice posted on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s Website. The state is waiting to hear back from the federal government, the notice says.
“In the meantime, processing and payment of any outstanding claims are being paused,” the notice reads. “The Department will provide further updates as more information becomes available.”
It’s unclear how many families will not get their bills covered as a result.
Ohio officials wrote that they made the decision after U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon abruptly informed states on March 28 that the federal government would not honor a decision by the Biden administration to give states until later in 2025 to spend the money.
The cut, effective 5 p.m. the day it was made, prompted 16 Democratic-run states to sue in federal court. The lawsuit includes details on some of the leftover money. Pennsylvania, a lead plaintiff, lost access to $207 million in unspent money; New York lost $134 million, and Massachusetts lost $105 million.
I have reached out to various officials in the DeWine administration, asking them to describe how Ohio was affected by the ending of the afterschool program, which state officials refer to as “ACE.” I also asked for additional information about the ACE program. As of the deadline for this column, I was still waiting on a meaningful response
In lieu of an official explanation, a state dashboard says that Ohio has claimed 99.1% of the $6.68 billion in federal education-related coronavirus relief money the state was allocated. It’s unclear if that means all that money was spent or if it was merely set aside and whether it could be affected by the March 28 decision.
More about the afterschool enrichment program
Republican Ohio lawmakers created the Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment Savings Account Program – the state calls it ACE – in late 2021. They set aside $125 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to fund savings accounts parents could use to pay for tutoring, summer camps, trips to museums and other afterschool educational programming.
When the program was launched, each eligible family could receive up to $500 per child. In 2023, the state doubled the amount to $1,000. The program was set to close in July 2024, but state officials announced in June 2024 that it would remain in place until October 2025.
All of the changes occurred while much of the program’s money went untouched. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that, as of November, only $46 million of the $125 million had been spent. Some parents previously told The Enquirer the money was difficult to access. The Buckeye Institute, a conservative advocacy group that supports the accounts, told The Enquirer that measures meant to prevent fraud seen for similar programs in other states may have been the reason why.
State officials are considering creating other educational savings accounts, which are popular in school-choice circles. Pending bills in the state House and Senate would create them for students attending private religious schools to help cover things such as tuition and books, for instance. Neither bill has gotten a vote yet.
Do you have outstanding claims in Ohio’s afterschool program? How have you been affected by the Trump administration’s reversal on COVID relief funds? I want to hear from you to better understand the impact of such changes. Reach out to me at [email protected]
Small town, big news
Chillicothe was in the news this past week after corporate owners announced their plans to close the city’s paper mill within the next two months. It’s big news because it’s a major employer that’s long been the unofficial symbol for the city.
The story was updated later in the week when, in the face of threats from U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno and other politicians, the company agreed to remain open through the end of the year while officials try to line up a new owner.
“This is by far the darkest time I’ve ever seen since I’ve been there,” said Jeff Allen, president of the United Steelworkers union local that represents many of the roughly 826 employees who work there.
I took an in-depth look at the potential closure, interviewing local political, business and union leaders. You can find that here. My story explores how the problems facing Chillicothe, which has overseen a carefully planned downtown revival over the past decade, are similar to those facing other small, manufacturing-reliant cities across Ohio.
In the news: