Students at 207 Ohio Schools Eligible for EdChoice Voucher

(Columbus, Ohio, September 15, 2009) 

Today, the Ohio Department of Education released the new list of public schools that have been in academic watch or academic emergency for two of the past three years. All students who attend or will attend these schools in 2010 are now eligible to apply in February for the EdChoice Scholarship to enroll in private schools.

The 207 EdChoice designated public school buildings are in 27 school districts spread across the state. This is an increase from the 199 schools that received a similar designation last year. It is estimated that over 88,000 students attend the 207 affected schools.

"As the state continues the important work of finding ways to reform its educational system, it is vital that Ohio's parents and students not be forced to wait for those reforms to take hold," said Chad L. Aldis, executive director of School Choice Ohio. "The EdChoice Scholarship provides a necessary option to families who are at risk of falling behind at an underperforming public school."

Now in its fourth year, the current number of EdChoice awardees increased by more than 20 percent from last year. This year 12,685 students were awarded the scholarship—up from 10,456 last year. With the continued increase in enrollment, the program is approaching the 14,000 student statutory cap.

The increase in applications occurred despite a decrease in funding during the finalization of the state budget. Scholarships were reduced from $4500 to $4250 for K-8 and from $5300 to $5000 for 9-12.

A student is eligible to apply for the scholarship if he or she:

• Is enrolled in and attending an EdChoice designated public school building (rated academic watch or academic emergency for two of past three years);
• Is enrolled in a community (charter) school and would otherwise be assigned to one of the EdChoice designated public school buildings;
• Is enrolled in a regular public school or community school and would be assigned to attend one of the EdChoice designated public school buildings for the upcoming school year. This provision is for students moving from one level of school to the next (ex. elementary to middle school if the middle school is an EdChoice designated public school building); or
• Is eligible to enter kindergarten in the next school year and would be assigned to one of the EdChoice designated public school buildings.

A student is not eligible to apply for the scholarship if he or she:

• Is attending a private school or being homeschooled

EdChoice Eligible Students in Each District for 2010 Enrollment Period (Based on 2008-09 ODE Enrollment Data)

County	District	Eligible students    (est.)	Number of EdChoice-designated schools
Franklin	Columbus	17,570	51
Hamilton	Cincinnati	15,232	30
Montgomery	Dayton	10,639	22
Lucas	Toledo	7,552	17
Mahoning	Youngstown	4,905	10
Summit	Akron	3,410	11
Lorain	Lorain	3,321	8
Clark	Springfield	2,936	9
Trumbull	Warren	2,633	3
Cuyahoga	East Cleveland	2,620	4
Stark	Canton	1,965	6
Butler	Middletown	1,891	4
Allen	Lima	1,510	4
Richland	Mansfield	1,470	4
Marion	Marion	1,379	4
Cuyahoga	Maple Heights	1,086	2
Scioto	Portsmouth	1,075	1
Montgomery	Trotwood-Madison	1,069	2
Cuyahoga	Warrensville Heights	1,053	2
Muskingum	Zanesville	971	2
Cuyahoga	Euclid	890	3
Hamilton	Mt. Healthy	761	2
Franklin	South-Western	676	1
Montgomery	Jefferson Township	502	2
Franklin	Whitehall	443	1
Butler	Hamilton	179	1
Columbiana	East Liverpool	164	1
Statewide total:		87,902	207

The full list of this year's designated public school buildings is available HERE

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.