1. What is Ohio�s Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program?
The Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program (Ohio EdChoice) will provide a limited number of scholarships to students who attend persistently under-performing public school buildings. The scholarships may be used to attend chartered nonpublic schools that meet the requirements for program participation.
2. When will applications be accepted for the scholarships?
Applications are being accepted from April 3, 2006 until June 9, 2006. Parents must first get their students admitted for fall enrollment at a participating chartered nonpublic school. Once the student has been admitted, the nonpublic school will submit a scholarship application on behalf of the student. Participating nonpublic schools have until June 9, 2006 to submit student applications.
3. Who will be eligible to apply for a scholarship?
Eligibility is determined by attendance and/or assignment to a public school building which has been rated in �academic emergency� or "academic watch" for the past three years. A list of such buildings can be found at http://www.ode.state.oh.us/School_Finance/ecs/eligible.asp.
A student must meet one of the following conditions to apply for a scholarship:
- Be enrolled in one of the three-year academic emergency or academic watch buildings;
- Be enrolled in a community school and would otherwise be assigned to one of the three-year academic emergency or academic watch buildings, or;
- Be eligible to enter kindergarten in the next school year and be assigned to one of the three-year academic emergency or academic watch buildings.
4. What is a Community School?
Community Schools � often called "charter schools" in other states � are public nonprofit, nonsectarian schools that operate independently of any school district but under a contract with an authorized sponsoring entity that is established in statue or approved by the State Board of Education. Community schools are public schools of choice and are state and federally funded.
5. Should my child apply for a scholarship first, or apply for admission to a nonpublic school first?
All students who apply for a scholarship must have been accepted for enrollment at a participating nonpublic school, so your child should apply for admission to a participating nonpublic school first.
6. Why are there no Cleveland schools on the list of three-year academic emergency or three-year academic watch school buildings?
Students who reside within the Cleveland Municipal School District are not eligible to participate in the EdChoice program. There is a separate Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program for students in that district. Information on Cleveland�s program can be found at http://www.ode.state.oh.us/school_options/scholarship/default.asp.
7. My child�s school is scheduled to close at the end of the 2005-2006 school year. Is she still eligible for a scholarship?
As long as your child's school is on the list of three-year academic emergency or academic watch buildings and if the school building is still open during the application period, your child is eligible to apply for a scholarship.
8. My child is scheduled to start high school in the 2006-2007 school year and will be assigned to a high school that has been in academic emergency or academic watch for three years. Is he eligible?
Your child will only be eligible if the school he or she attends this school year is on the list.
9. My child is entering Kindergarten in 2006. Is he eligible for a scholarship?
If your child would be assigned to a school on the list, he is eligible to apply for an EdChoice Scholarship.
10. My child is currently attending a private school, but would otherwise attend one of the buildings on the list. Is she eligible to apply?
Students that are currently enrolled in a private, nonpublic school are not eligible for Ohio EdChoice scholarships. When the law for the new program was passed, the Ohio legislature limited eligibility to those students currently attending a public school on the list, those students currently enrolled in a publicly-funded community (�charter�) school who would otherwise be assigned to a building on the list, and to new kindergartners.
11. My child is currently enrolled in one of the Dayton or Cincinnati school buildings on the list. Is he eligible to apply for a scholarship?
Yes. Students attending a building on the list this school year are eligible to apply. In Dayton, all community (�charter�) school students and incoming kindergartners living in the Dayton Public School District are eligible to apply for a scholarship.
12. Will every child that applies to participate be accepted?
Funding is expected to serve approximately 14,000 eligible students beginning in the 2006-2007 school year. If the number of applications exceeds 14,000, priority will be given to students with family incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Students will be selected by lot to receive any remaining scholarships.
13. Can my child attend any nonpublic school?
Your child must be accepted by a participating chartered nonpublic school. A chartered nonpublic school will need to meet certain requirements to participate in the EdChoice program. The Ohio Department of Education is currently working with nonpublic schools to register interested schools for participation in the program. A list of participating chartered nonpublic schools is available at http://www.ode.state.oh.us/school_finance/ecs/participating.asp.
14. What is the value of the scholarship?
The scholarship amount will be $4,250 for grades K-8 and $5,000 for grades 9-12 or the actual tuition charged, whichever amount is lower.
15. Will parents/guardians have to pay any amount of money?
Parents and guardians may still have to pay registration fees, material fees, and other similar types of fees. The scholarship amount only covers school tuition.
If the nonpublic school�s tuition is higher than the EdChoice scholarship amount and if the student�s family income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, the family will not have to pay the difference. If the student�s family income is above 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, the family may either pay the tuition difference or carry out volunteer opportunities at the private school.
16. Are the scholarships first-come, first-served?
No. All applications received by June 9, 2006 will be given equal consideration in awarding the scholarships.
17. If my child receives an EdChoice Scholarship to attend a private school, will he receive transportation services from the public school district?
Students enrolled in nonpublic schools may be entitled to pupil transportation services from their public school district of residence. Additional information about transportation services for nonpublic school students is available on the ODE Web site at http://www.ode.state.oh.us/school_finance/transportation/Rules/Chap%201.pdf.
18. My child is currently attending a �charter� school that is rated in academic emergency or academic watch. Is he eligible to apply for an EdChoice Scholarship?
In Ohio, �charter� schools � public schools of choice that operate independently of school districts and receive state and federal funds � are called �community schools.� By law, eligibility for an EdChoice Scholarship is based on the status of the resident public school building to which the student would be assigned if he were not attending a community school. Eligibility is not determined by the rating of the community school.
19. If a student receives an EdChoice Scholarship, how long can he or she continue to attend a private school?
Under current law, students that receive a scholarship can renew it each school year through 12th grade as long as the student: 1) Does not move to another public school district, 2) Takes all required state achievement tests; and 3) Has good school attendance. Students that are absent for more than 20 days in a school year must have a written doctor�s confirmation of illness or injury.