Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked fresh fury across Ohio after floating a plan to keep children in school year-round and until 4 p.m., then quietly deleting the video without explaining why.
As reported by Tiffin Ohio, the Republican nominee for governor proposed in a November 2025 video about lowering costs for families. His answer to expensive child care was simple: keep children in classrooms longer.
“Make parenting more affordable by making school year-round and going til 4 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock so you don’t have to pay for child care,” Ramaswamy said.
But the clip vanished after Democratic nominee Amy Acton’s campaign shared it online. A replacement version appeared without the education section.
Ramaswamy’s campaign later insisted the remarks were not a formal policy announcement, calling the video a casual conversation with voters. That explanation has done little to calm critics, particularly as the campaign has failed to say who would pay for longer school days, more staff hours, extra buses, utilities and building maintenance.
On Reddit’s Ohio forum, the reaction was punishing.
One commenter wrote, “It’s all a grift,” while another asked how Ramaswamy could propose eliminating property taxes while also paying for year-round schools.
Others accused him of treating public schools as little more than state-funded child care. One teacher said educators already struggle to find time for planning, meetings and professional development under existing schedules.
Ohio Questions the Real Plan
The anger is especially sharp because many Ohio districts are already under financial pressure.
Tiffin City Schools recently secured a 0.75 percent earned income tax levy expected to raise about $3.2 million annually. The money was not designed to bankroll a major expansion. It was needed to preserve existing salaries, transportation, student programs and daily operations.
District officials have also projected a $1.2 million annual revenue loss tied to state property tax legislation.
That makes Ramaswamy’s proposal look even shakier to critics. Longer school years and longer days would require more money, even as he is campaigning on tax cuts that could reduce school revenue.
Several Reddit users said they suspected something more calculated. One claimed the proposal was designed to weaken public schools while benefiting private alternatives. Another wrote, “He wants this for the private schools they want to replace the public schools.”
Those claims remain speculation, but they reflect a wider distrust surrounding Ramaswamy’s shifting positions.
He previously vowed to abolish property taxes, but later softened that promise. He also pushed university consolidation, then disputed claims that he wanted schools shut down after facing opposition.
Ramaswamy describes this as open-minded thinking. Many Ohio voters see something else: bold promises, missing details, and policies that disappear when the backlash arrives.
