EdChoice Update from Dr. Smith

MCS Families,
The 10th District Court of Appeals in Ohio issued a decision on Thursday upholding the ruling of the lower court that Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship Program is unconstitutional. This outcome was expected as this case is political and not prudent.

First and most importantly: this decision has been stayed (put on hold) pending an appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. There is NO immediate impact on participating students, families, or schools, and all EdChoice scholarships remain fully in place.

Below is an excellent response from the Ohio Christian Network Executive Director, Troy McIntosh, summarizing the position of Christian schools statewide:

This ruling represents an egregious example of judicial overreach that threatens to disrupt the education of 180,000 Ohio students who rely on EdChoice to access high-quality educational options beyond their assigned public school.

Ohio is facing a severe educational crisis, with two-thirds of public school eighth graders failing to achieve reading proficiency and three-quarters falling short in mathematics. Losing EdChoice would strip away one of the most effective tools created to reform and improve Ohio’s education system.

This lawsuit was filed by a coalition comprising fewer than half of Ohio’s public school districts, who strategically brought their case in lower courts favorable to their agenda. Based on the legal merits and the current composition of the Ohio Supreme Court, we fully anticipate that the Court will reverse this decision and uphold the constitutionality of EdChoice.

Nevertheless, this situation underscores the vital importance of Christians participating in the democratic process, as we will select two Supreme Court justices and an Attorney General who will oversee the State’s defense of the program next month.

This is why elections matter. Families who value Christian education must choose candidates who will advocate for policies that protect educational freedom in Ohio. This case represents a broader attack on families and their right to choose an education that aligns with their values and worldview. We have common ground on the issue of school choice, so this fall, vote for candidates who will protect your EdChoice scholarship to attend Mansfield Christian School.

Allowing education funding to follow the student just makes sense. Funding is intended to educate students who enroll in a particular school, not subsidize the budgets of districts in which they do not attend. Nevertheless, public schools continue to receive significant state and local funding, such as property taxes, even when families choose another option. Many districts also retain portions of funding for students they no longer educate.

We will continue to meet with our representatives and we are extremely grateful for the support of our local congressmen. We will lobby for school choice both behind the scenes and in the public square – and ask that you do the same.
We must not be silent when it comes to our children. Our parents deserve the public funding to make the best educational choice for their family and should not be penalized for choosing an education from a biblical worldview. Our faith was meant to be personal, but it was never meant to be private.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. God has been faithful to bless MCS for 65 years; we can trust Him.

Dr. Cy Smith
Superintendent