Today in Ohio - Oct. 16, 2026 Could Ohio's private school vouchers actually be heading to extinction?

A huge one for one of the most hated actions of r- Ohio Republican lawmakers over the past two decades.

Lisa, what happened this week to the billion-dollar-plus private school voucher program?

Yeah, well, Ohio's Tenth Appeals Court found that the EdChoice and the EdChoice expansion voucher programs violate the Ohio Constitution that mandates a thorough and efficient system of common schools for the state.

The ruling said that private schools are subject to less oversight and scrutiny.

They can cherry-pick their students.

There are few private school options in rural areas.

And then the ruling also said that they get taxpayer money at the g- expense and detriment to public schools.

It was a 40-page decision.

All three appellate judges concurred.

They are all Democratic, whether that matters or not.

It might.

Um, but they will stay the decision while it undergoes appeal.

And Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson says he's gonna do just that.

He's going to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.

He says the current system is not hurting public schools.

This is about family choice.

So the decision was praised by a lot of people, including Policy Matters Ohio, educators unions, and that coalition of 300 Ohio school districts that sued the state over these voucher programs.

I think they're called All In For Ohio Kids.

They say now it's up to lawmakers to return to the Fair School Funding Plan's bipartisan funding formula that they have failed to fund for the last two years, and they said that the $700 million in EdChoice, um, goes to schools with less extensive oversight and standards.

I, uh, Andy Wilson's gonna be out of that job in three months.

I don't know why he's deciding this now.

It'll be-

Mm-hmm

... for the next elected attorney general to make that decision.

This dude should get out of the equation.

A huge one for one of the most hated actions of r- Ohio Republican lawmakers over the past two decades.

Lisa, what happened this week to the billion-dollar-plus private school voucher program?

Yeah, well, Ohio's Tenth Appeals Court found that the EdChoice and the EdChoice expansion voucher programs violate the Ohio Constitution that mandates a thorough and efficient system of common schools for the state.

The ruling said that private schools are subject to less oversight and scrutiny.

They can cherry-pick their students.

There are few private school options in rural areas.

And then the ruling also said that they get taxpayer money at the g- expense and detriment to public schools.

It was a 40-page decision.

All three appellate judges concurred.

They are all Democratic, whether that matters or not.

It might.

Um, but they will stay the decision while it undergoes appeal.

And Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson says he's gonna do just that.

He's going to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.

He says the current system is not hurting public schools.

This is about family choice.

So the decision was praised by a lot of people, including Policy Matters Ohio, educators unions, and that coalition of 300 Ohio school districts that sued the state over these voucher programs.

I think they're called All In For Ohio Kids.

They say now it's up to lawmakers to return to the Fair School Funding Plan's bipartisan funding formula that they have failed to fund for the last two years, and they said that the $700 million in EdChoice, um, goes to schools with less extensive oversight and standards.

I, uh, Andy Wilson's gonna be out of that job in three months.

I don't know why he's deciding this now.

It'll be-

Mm-hmm

... for the next elected attorney general to make that decision.

This dude should get out of the equation.