Our Five Counts or Reasons Vouchers Are Unconstitutional in Ohio

March 11, 2025

Good Tuesday morning,

The $1 billion boondoggle private school universal harmful voucher scheme known as EdChoice is going on trial in 2025.

We are challenging the constitutionality of vouchers based on five counts.

Count 1: The Ohio Constitution is clear. The legislature and governor shall create a single system of common schools in Ohio for the common good. Vouchers represent a separate and unequal system of uncommon schools, that has now become a refund and rebate program for wealthy families and a cash cow for private school operators.

The money to pay for private school vouchers comes from the same line-item in the state budget that pays for public schools so a dollar more for vouchers is a dollar less available for public schools.

Count 2: Vouchers increase the over-reliance on local property taxes. The state is shortchanging public schools at the same time it is siphoning away hundreds of millions of dollars to private schools, and this is forcing local public schools to go back to their voters more and more often with levies.

Count 3: Voucher school operators can and do apply litmus tests like family financial status, race, religion, academic/athletic ability, disabilities, etc. to determine who gets in and who is left out. Public schools are open to all children.

Count 4: The Ohio Constitution states no religious or other sect shall have exclusive right or control of any part of the school funds of this state. More than 90 percent of the voucher schools are religious.

Count 5: Vouchers grant special privileges against the power inherent in the people of Ohio.

We believe all five counts outline why the EdChoice private school vouchers are unconstitutional, but we only need one count to be found unconstitutional to win in court.

And winning would mean the state could not fund EdChoice.

We are not alone in Ohio in fighting back against the powerful billionaires like Betsy DeVos and the Koch Family, or their front organizations that are pushing a pro-voucher agenda.

Grass roots organizations like Vouchers Hurt Ohio are popping up in state after state to fight back because vouchers are an existential threat to public schools.

Has your school district joined our lawsuit? Check here.

If not, why not. Learn how to join here.

Sincerely,

Vouchers Hurt Ohio