Summary:
Ohio is a national leader in providing school choice. The state operates four private school choice programs.
Public School Choice:
Ohio offers choice within the public education system, including intra-district and inter-district open enrollment. The Center for Education Reform reports that Ohio has an average charter school law. Over 114,500 students attended the state’s 368 public charter schools in 2010.
Private School Choice:
Ohio has provided private school choice since 1995. As of 2011, the state now operates four scholarship programs: (1) the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, which provides scholarships to Cleveland students with preference given to those from low-income families; (2) the Autism Scholarship Program for students with autism; (3) the Educational Choice Scholarship Program for students in underperforming schools; and (4) the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship program, which allows students with Individual Education Plans to receive up to 90 percent of state education funding to attend private schools of their choice.
Online Learning:
According to the Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning report, Ohio has extensive online education opportunities. The state operates 27 eCommunity schools, full-time online charter schools. The state-led initiative iLearnOhio–previously known as the OhioLearns! Gateway–authorizes online courses and acts as an online course resource center. Ohio’s eCommunity schools served 31,142 students in 2010-2011, a two percent decrease from the previous school year.
Recent Developments:
In 2011, Ohio expanded enrollment for its EdChoice program and increased the scholarship amount for students participating in the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program. It also added the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship program, which allows special needs students in the state to receive up to 90 percent of their state education funding to attend private schools of their choice.
More Information:
Click here for detailed information on Ohio's public school system and see below for school choice contacts and a history of school choice legislation in Ohio.