An Ohio appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that the state’s EdChoice private school voucher program is unconstitutional, but the program will continue operating while the state appeals the decision.
The Tenth District Court of Appeals issued its ruling Thursday, October 15th. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said his office is disappointed with the decision but noted the court has put the ruling on hold while the state appeals to the Ohio Supreme Court. Wilson said families should not worry because there is no immediate impact on the program.
Wilson also defended school choice, saying parents should have the option to send their children to the school of their choice and that the General Assembly has the authority to help fund that decision. He added that the ruling is about families choosing how to educate their children and said the current voucher system does not hurt public schools.
Meanwhile, Vouchers Hurt Ohio and the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding praised the decision. William L. Phillis, speaking on behalf of the groups, called the voucher program a costly use of taxpayer money that primarily benefits private and religious schools and families whose children were already enrolled in private schools.
Former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Brown, who chairs the Vouchers Hurt Ohio Steering Committee, said the decision is a victory for public schools and children across the state.
The coalition includes more than 300 public school districts that have joined together to challenge the state’s private school voucher program.
