EdChoice Scholarship Awards Top 10,000 for 2008-09 School Year

August 19th, 2008

While presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain touts private school scholarships as an important element of education reform, nearly 10,500 children in Ohio were awarded an Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship this year.

 The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) awarded 10,456 scholarships to be used in the 2008-09 school year. Of these scholarships, 4,443 were to first-year awardees and 6,013 were renewals of scholarships from the past two years. Last year, 6,934 students used the scholarship.

Student awardees came from 37 districts statewide. The highest number of scholarship awards went to students in Columbus (1,991), Cincinnati (1,970), Dayton (1,445), and Toledo (1,328).

The EdChoice scholarship, now in its third year, expands school options for parents in Ohio. The scholarship allows children who attend low-performing public schools to attend private school with a publicly-funded scholarship worth up to $5,150 annually. Statewide, 81% of the students eligible for the scholarship were low-income and 95% were located in urban school districts.

Families who applied in April have been eagerly awaiting the news from ODE about the scholarship awards.

“For stepping forward and taking an active role in directing their children’s education, these parents should be commended,” said Chad L. Aldis, executive director of. School Choice Ohio. “Parental choice is not about public, private, or home schools. It is about parents finding the education that meets their child’s individual needs. For these parents, the EdChoice Scholarship has made this possible.”

About School Choice Ohio

School Choice Ohio (SCO) is committed to the goal of every child in Ohio having access to a quality education. Because this is not yet a reality, the organization works tirelessly to educate both the public and our leaders on the importance of empowering parents to find the best educational setting for the needs of their children. SCO believes that all parents should have the opportunity to choose which school is best for their children, regardless of their income level.