Ohio appeals court rules EdChoice private school voucher system unconstitutional

An Ohio appellate court has ruled that the EdChoice voucher program, which uses taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition, is unconstitutional.The program will still be able to exist, as the judges expect the state to appeal.A panel of Democratic judges on the 10th District Court of Appeals in Franklin County unanimously sided with the more than 300 public school districts that sued, alleging that EdChoice was violating the Ohio Constitution by funding a separate school system, one with a lack of oversight that isn't available to rural students.Watch previous coverage: Ohio judges question why taxpayers fund private school tuition Ohio judges question why taxpayers fund private school tuition"EdChoice, as presently structured and funded, secures with taxpayer funds a competing system of uncommon schools that is not subject to the same obligations imposed on Ohios system of common schools," Judge Dave Leland wrote.It is also illegal for "drawing taxpayer money away from public schools" and "cherry-picking students from public schools, causing financial hardship," the ruling states."We're getting really close to the end," Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board member Dan Heintz said Thursday.The district was the first to join the lawsuit."We were so uniquely damaged by the voucher system, especially as it was originally funded, where the state actually removed funding from our account to cover the costs of these private school vouchers for students who lived in our district," Heintz said.EdChoice supporters said the decision was disappointing, but not surprising."We always knew it was going to go to the Ohio Supreme Court," Keith Neely, an attorney for Institute for Justice, which represents a group of Ohio EdChoice families, said Thursday.The state is appealing to the Republican-controlled high court, where GOP lawmakers are confident they will win."Empower families to make those decisions for their own children, and give their children opportunities," Neely said.Governor's raceEducation has been top of mind for both frontrunners for governor.The judges said that while public schools are being underfunded, the state has spent $2.5 billion in the budget on private schools, which dont have oversight.At a campaign event, we asked Democratic candidate for governor Dr. Amy Acton about the decision, to which she said she hadn't read it yet. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio’s two largest voucher programs that use taxpayer dollars for private school tuition violate the state constitution, according to a unanimous ruling from Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals.