Ohio school choice program ‘undermining’ public schools, state court rules
In an October 15, 2026 ruling. a three-judge panel unanimously found a voucher program’s expansion violates a state requirement for a “thorough and efficient” school system. The lawsuit, Columbus City School District, et al. v. State of Ohio, was filed by a coalition of school districts in 2022.
Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that EdChoice, an Ohio school choice program and related programs that have expanded significantly since its origins in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is now in violation of Ohio’s constitution, which requires a singular “thorough and efficient system of common schools.” According to the court, th program is “undermining the financial integrity of public schools” and “is cherry-picking” students from public schools who are inexpensive to educate while leaving the students who need more resources for public schools.
The judges also said the program is “slowly eroding support for local school levies” by incentivizing families to leave public schools through means such as reducing or eliminating the cost of private schools, which takes a toll on public school enrollment and finances.
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