Ohio court rules EdChoice school voucher program unconstitutional

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 18:02 · Archive

Ohio's appeals court has unanimously ruled that the EdChoice programme, which provides scholarships for private school attendance, violates the state constitution.

Ohio's 10th District Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled that the EdChoice programme violates the state constitution. The three-judge panel found the programme misleading, stating that 'school choice' is with private schools rather than parents.

Established in 2005 as the Cleveland Pilot Program to help low-income families in Cleveland attend private schools, EdChoice has expanded significantly. The Legislature has widened its scope several times to include most families. In 2024–25, the programme distributed £1.4 billion in taxpayer scholarships, which can be used for private schools including those affiliated with religious organisations.

According to Judge David J Leland, the programme violates the Ohio Constitution in two ways. William L. Phillis, speaking for Vouchers Hurt Ohio and the Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, called it 'a £1 billion boondoggle for mostly religious schools' and 'a refund and rebate programme for mostly wealthy families whose children were already enrolled in private schools'.

The court stayed enforcement of its ruling, so EdChoice will not shut down immediately. The State of Ohio is expected to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.

How it is being reported

• Ohio appeals court rules state’s EdChoice school voucher program unconstitutionalAn Ohio appeals court unanimously ruled Thursday that the state’s EdChoice private-school voucher program violates the Ohio Constitution.Wowktv · 15 Oct, 17:30
• Ohio EdChoice program ruled unconstitutional by Court of Appeals. What happens now?The 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus today, filed its unanimous decision saying the Ohio EdChoice program that gives scholarships to students to attend private schools is unconstitutional.WSAZ · 15 Oct, 16:07

In this story: EdChoice · Ohio · Cleveland · David J Leland · William L. Phillis

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