COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — For the first time since a Franklin County judge ruled the EdChoice Voucher Program unconstitutional, the Columbus City School board is speaking out.
EdChoice is one of Ohio’s major school voucher programs. The Columbus City School District is the lead plaintiff on this case.
Board members NBC4 spoke with say they are celebrating this as a victory for all public education in the state, but they know they have a long road ahead of them.
“It’s not about school choice, I just want to make that clear. Parents can choose whatever options are out there. It’s about the way it’s funded,” Columbus School Board of Education Vice President Jennifer Adair said.
Public school districts, including Columbus, had sued, saying EdChoice takes millions of dollars away from public education and creates an unconstitutional ‘second system’ of private schools.
“You have nearly one billion dollars that went to students that really didn’t need that support,” CCS School Board President Michael Cole said. “This is so much bigger than urban education. This is urban and rural. This is a statewide coalition.”
The EdChoice program originally began as a way for low income students from poorly performing districts to attend private schools. However, in 2022, the state expanded the program and removed the income requirements, allowing all students to attend private schools on at least a partially funded scholarship.
“It’s just a complete siphoning off of public funds, taxpayer funds that are supposed to come back to that constitutional requirement. And that is what Judge Paige found, that constitutional requirement that we have a common education system that is funded in this state fully and efficiently,” Adair said.
In the judge’s ruling, she writes, “EdChoice is not unconstitutional because the State has always funded private schools. Though this may be true, the State may not fund private schools at the expense of public schools or in a manner that undermines its obligation to public education.”
“We need all the resources that we can get in our classrooms. So that our students have what they need to succeed at the end of the day,” Cole said.
Attorney General Dave Yost has already said that the state will appeal this ruling, telling parents enrolled in the program to not panic.
Organizations that are proponents of the program believe that the Appellate Court or Supreme Court will find the program constitutional.
