Blackshear Applauds Appeals Court Ruling School Vouchers Unconstitutional

Today, state Senator Willis E. Blackshear Jr. (D-Dayton) issued the following statement after the 10th District Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio’s EdChoice school vouchers are unconstitutional. 

“This decision is a major step in the right direction,” said Blackshear. “The current voucher system gives over $1 billion to private schools with no standards or accountability measures while public schools continually face cuts and need levies to support their operations.”

“Under Ohio law, there is currently no cap on spending in the state budget for universal vouchers, and I believe that legislative action is needed to amend this. Ohio students deserve an educational environment that benefits all, not some, and this cannot be a reality as long as we are spending public tax dollars on exclusionary, often for-profit, private schools while our public schools suffer the financial burden.” 

The ruling came after 300 public schools sued the state of Ohio for funding a separate school system that lacks accountability and oversight. Attorney General Andy Wilson has stated his plans to appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court.