Districts Joining Lawsuit Effort

July 8, 2025

Good Tuesday morning,

Just this year, more than 50 school districts have joined our effort to challenge the constitutionality of the EdChoice private school voucher scheme that is going to siphon away an additional $1.5 billion in the new two-year state budget from underfunded public schools.

We’ve seen this increase in our numbers, and we expect even more schools to join for a number of reasons.

First, Franklin County Judge Jaiza Page ruled on June 24 that EdChoice private school vouchers are unconstitutional on three counts. The state is appealing. We expected nothing less.

But we won the first round in a huge, historic way.

Second, state lawmakers doubled down on harming public schools in the two-year state budget, choosing instead to funnel billions of much needed tax dollars to private schools and wealthy families.

If Gov. Mike DeWine hadn’t used his veto power, this would have been the worst budget for public schools in decades.

Third, we are not alone. In state after state where the pro-voucher crowd has made the public-money tax grab, organizations like ours have formed to fight back.

And our side is winning because states decided these issues in the 19th century, and drew clear lines between the separation of church and state with clear intentions that public tax dollars are for public schools, not private religious schools.

In the states where there are legal challenges like ours, the courts are ruling against vouchers.

In the states where voters have had a chance to weigh in, vouchers lose and public schools win.

We are confident we are going to be victorious at the appellate level, and when our case hits the Ohio Supreme Court.

Here’s a question to ask yourself if you are a board member, superintendent or public school treasurer – is your district part of our historic lawsuit? Check here.

If not, why not?

Here is how to join.

Sincerely,

Vouchers Hurt Ohio