COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A coalition of public schools is looking to grow its ranks as its lawsuit against the state moves closer to its trial date.

The group, Vouchers Hurt Ohio, is pushing to eliminate the EdChoice vouchers that allow students in designated public schools to attend participating private schools.

Central Ohio author honored with prestigious award

The lawsuit said these vouchers hurt public schools as more and more people apply for them.

Those who are pro-vouchers say it’s about parents having the ability to choose where to send their child. Those against the vouchers say it’s about separating church and state and because the program isn’t performing how it was promised.

Vouchers Hurt Ohio is suing to eliminate the EdChoice vouchers. Dozens of school districts have signed on, and the group is trying to get more on board.

“I spent 30 years in the Arlington schools and 34 years teaching, two of them were in a charter school,” Retired UA School Teacher Betsy O’Brochta said. “But my best hope is that there is a value put to public education.”

O’Brochta helped organize a Wednesday event where people came together to learn more about why there is a lawsuit suing the state for the voucher program. Former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party David Pepper was one speaker.

“For a long time, people talked about vouchers as if it was this narrow way to help people who were in poor districts go to a better school,” Pepper said.

He said now, that’s not the case.

“The people who are mostly getting dollars here already chose to go to the private school,” Pepper said. “They’ve been going to that school, in many cases, their entire life. All they’re doing now is getting public money to do what they were already doing.”

Troy McIntosh is the executive director of Ohio Christian Education Network. This coalition is in support of the EdChoice voucher program.

“We don’t believe the lawsuit really has any validity to it because there is nothing in the state constitution that disallows this type of program,” McIntosh said.

He said these vouchers are important.

“Vouchers are essentially a way of recognizing that parents are a much better determiner of what the best education for a child is than the government, which arbitrarily assigns kids to schools based on zip code,” McIntosh said.

Dashcam captures dangerous trend resulting in crash at Columbus intersection

Vouchers Hurt Ohio argued the vouchers go against the Constitution.

“It was important to file the lawsuit rather than allow an unconstitutional law to continue,” Former Worthington School Board President Charlie Wilson said. “My problem is, I don’t want the state getting involved in religion or churches. And once the state starts funding religions and their schools, we are soon going to have the state very intertwined and auditing and looking over religions.”

The lawsuit goes to trial in November.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.