All students should be educated to their full potential, and Ohio recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective in helping every child. Throughout Ohio, families have a growing number of options when it comes to choosing a school for their child. There are more than 300 charter schools, 3,600 neighborhood public schools, nearly 900 private schools, more than 50 homeschool co-ops, and a range of thematic magnet lottery schools. There are a variety of information sources parents can use to navigate and evaluate these schooling options, many of which are available at little or no cost.
In addition, several state-sponsored scholarships are available to ensure that families of all income levels can exercise their freedom of school choice. The EdChoice Scholarship allows students attending under-performing public schools to switch to a private school of their choice with a voucher worth up to $5,000 per year. The Autism Scholarship Program pays up to $20,000 per year for Autistic students to receive services provided at approved education centers. The Cleveland Scholarship & Tutoring Program provides private school tuition scholarships for low-income families, and provides tutoring services for public school students.
Schooling Options in Ohio
More information about each of these school options in Ohio can be found on the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website
Neighborhood Public Schools
Students are generally assigned by their local district to a neighborhood public school in their general area. Public schools are sponsored by the state government and supplemented by local taxes. Teachers must obtain certain levels of qualification in order to work in public schools. The curriculum and standards of the school are approved by the Ohio Department of Education. Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), students attending underperforming public schools can be eligible for free tutoring services, or to switch to another neighborhood school with better test scores.
Magnet Lottery Public Schools
Magnet schools have the same standards as neighborhood public schools, but students are not assigned by area boundaries. Instead, parents sign up – often through a school lottery system – for a specific school. Magnet schools often have a certain theme or philosophy – such as a Montessori magnet school or a school for the performing arts. Magnet schools are free of charge.
Private Schools
Private schools are largely funded and operated independently of the state government. Private schools charge tuition and can set their own admissions criteria. There are nearly 900 schools that are “chartered” by the Ohio Department of Education, meaning they have met certain school operating standards. Private schools can be based on their own religious, philosophical, or educational beliefs. Scholarships for attending private schools are often available through the schools themselves and thousands of students are eligible for the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship, a private school tuition voucher worth up to $5,000 per year.
Community (Charter) Schools
Community schools, also called "charter schools," are public schools that operate with extra freedom to create non-traditional programs. Some of these alternative programs include virtual e-schools, single-gender schools, schools targeted to students who have dropped out of school, and schools with extended school hours. Charter schools are required to accept any student that applies and they are free of charge . Charter schools receive funding from state taxes but in lower amounts than neighborhood and magnet public schools. Public school districts, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses can all operate charter schools. They are run by a non-elected board of community members (rather than by an elected school board) and can be closed if they do not meet certain academic standards.
Homeschool
Parents can choose to remove their children from a formal school setting and educate them at home instead. The curriculum and educational plans that the parent arranges for each child must be submitted to their local public school district in order for the child to be excused from attending school. There are more than 50 groups of homeschoolers around the state that meet for academic, social, and extracurricular events in support of their at-home learning.