BREAKING: Public School Districts Sue to Strip Students of School Choice

Statement from Ohio Christian Education Network Director Troy McIntosh

COLUMBUS—Today, the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding filed a lawsuit challenging the state constitutionality of the EdChoice Scholarship Program and the right for Ohio parents to choose the best schooling option for their children, whether public or private. They did so in spite of previously unsuccessful legal challenges and a history of case law establishing the legality of such school choice programs.

The timing of the lawsuit, while so many children continue to experience the educational fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak, is particularly troubling.

“The anti-school choice coalition is attempting to remove 60,000 Ohio students from the very schools that remained open and have continued to serve them well throughout this crisis,” said Troy McIntosh, Executive Director of the Ohio Christian Education Network. “Parents chose these schools for a reason, and it is because they believe they give their children the best chance to flourish as a student.”

In addition to the legal grounding of the program, a growing body of research is demonstrating that an array of benefits come from empowering parents to make educational decisions for their children.

“Studies show that school choice programs benefit all students, from those who choose to remain in their public school to those who choose a charter school, a private school, or a home school,” said McIntosh. “School choice programs result in significantly higher parent and student satisfaction rates, and higher educational attainment among students who choose school alternatives. The research also shows that school choice results in higher academic performance for those students who choose to remain in their public school while the marketplace results in more competitive teacher compensation.”

Programs like EdChoice and the one proposed in the Backpack Bill (HB290), which would give school choice to every student in Ohio, are valuable additions to Ohio’s educational landscape.

“By placing school accountability into the hands of Ohio’s parents, they become the decision makers determining what is best for the individual needs of their children. The ‘one-size-fits-all’ model works for the educational establishment, but not for Ohio’s students,” McIntosh continued.

The Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) has been preparing with national and state allies for some time in expectation of such a suit. OCEN will mount a rigorous defense of the program and the right of families to make schooling decisions for their children. We expect that this suit will come to nothing, and that EdChoice Scholarships will continue to provide important opportunities for so many students.

For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or info@ccv.org.

As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel. 

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