"We worked on creating the story with the people of the community—it's their story. Community members wrote their own story of what they wanted their community to look like for their children," Superintendent Jennifer Lowery says.

As the state’s Education Department studies the effectiveness of New York City’s 20-year-old system of mayoral control, locals aired their views at five hearings held across the boroughs over the past two months.

Voucher expansions have unleashed a flood of additional taxpayer dollars to the benefit of families already enrolled in private schools. In Ohio, some schools are now “strongly encouraging” parents to apply for vouchers, regardless of need or income.

Under a diversion program, police are called to schools for offenses like marijuana possession or disorderly conduct cannot arrest the student involved if that student has no pending court case or a history of adjudication.