A judge has ruled Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program unconstitutional, siding with hundreds of school districts challenging its impact on public education.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we tell you what the judge had to say about the ruling and give you reaction from both sides. We also share information about the death of a student from Chaminade Julienne High School.

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Ohio EdChoice program ruled unconstitutional

A Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge ruled Ohio’s EdChoice private school voucher program is unconstitutional, marking a key moment in a lawsuit in which more than half of the state’s school districts had staked legal claims opposing the program.

• The lawsuit: The Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy for School Funding filed a lawsuit against the state in 2022 over school vouchers. The lawsuit says that under Ohio’s constitution, state funding going to private schools is not legal.

• The ruling: Judge Jaiza Page wrote that, “The Dayton City School District Board of Education ... enrolls about 12,000 students annually, over 96% of which are considered economically disadvantaged. A lack of funding has caused (the district) to struggle to provide its students with: (1) bus transportation; (2) technology and educational materials; (3) qualified teachers; and (4) adequate facilities.”

• On hold: Summary judgment was granted for plaintiffs on three of five counts, but the ruling was immediately stayed, meaning the program continues to operate, pending further legal battles.

• What EdChoice opponents are saying: “We are pleased that the court affirmed what we have been saying all along,” said William L. Phillis, executive director for the Coalition for Adequacy & Equity of School Funding. “The EdChoice private school voucher program, which has been diverting hundreds of millions of much needed tax dollars from public schools to private schools, is unconstitutional.”

• What EdChoice leaders are saying: “We remain confident the EdChoice program will prevail in the appeals process,” Brian Hickey, executive director for the Catholic Conference of Ohio. “Ensuring EdChoice scholarships for students is a matter of social justice, as it allows for equal opportunities for all of Ohio’s children.”

Chaminade Julienne mourns ‘all-around Eagle’ killed in motorcycle crash

Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School is mourning the loss of a 17-year-old student who was killed Tuesday in a motorcycle crash with a semi truck in Franklin.

• The student: The Warren County Coroner’s Office identified the teen as Elijah Berman, of Dayton.

• What happened? A preliminary investigation found that a semi truck was driving down the ramp from the highway when it hit a 2006 Suzuki DL1000 motorcycle that was driving south on Ohio 123 in the intersection. The semi then hit a raised median divider and overturned.

OSHP did not say whether the motorcycle or the semi were considered at fault, but said that the crash is still under investigation.

• Statement from Chaminade Julienne Principal Greg Mueller: “Eli was an all-around Eagle — a member of the football and track teams, had recently accepted an offer to play college football at Eastern Michigan University, was an Eagle Ambassador, participated in the Little Sibs program and was a strong student with a big personality."

What to know today

• One big takeaway: Property tax elimination won’t be on the November ballot.

• Big move of the day: The state of Ohio has awarded more than $4.5 million in state historic preservation tax credits to renovate the old Sears department store in Trotwood and rehab a blighted parking garage in downtown Dayton.

• Dayton Food & Dining: After operating in Lebanon for almost 15 years, Cameron Whipp, who owns The Breakfast Club with his wife, Jordan, have opened a second location in Springboro.

• Schools: An 11-foot-wide sidewalk and shared-use path will be constructed in front of the Jacob Coy Middle School/Trebein Elementary School complex in Beavercreek Twp.

• Public Health: Dayton & Montgomery County has announced it has caught mosquitoes that test positive for West Nile Virus in Wegerzyn MetroPark.

• Inside Ohio Politics: Ohio lawmakers dropped a plan to make it harder for school boards to put property tax levies on the ballot, an idea pushed by the Senate in an attempt to limit Ohioans’ property tax burdens.

• Stat of the day: Finance app Wallet Hub has declared Ohio as the third best state in the U.S. for summer road trips.

• Help us out: Share your holiday travel hacks by filling out our questionnaire.

• Community Gems: Doug Wampler and his wife, Chrissy, started Engage City Church when they moved to Huber Heights in 2016. Do you know someone like this in your community? Follow this link to nominate them.

• Things to do: Wright Dunbar Day, a family friendly block party, will be held this weekend in Dayton’s Wright Dunbar District featuring more than 30 food trucks and 80 retail vendors.

• Photo of the day: The Oregon Historic District Garden Tour took place Sunday. Attendees of the event took self-guided tours through eight private and native gardens throughout the neighborhood. The tour is a fundraiser for the Oregon Historic District Society, which maintains streetlights, entry ways and the neighborhood’s Newcom Founders Park. See more photos from Tom Gilliam here.