Your Neighborhood School
Your neighborhood school is your first option to consider. The school your district assigns your child to is generally determined by where you live. Your neighborhood school offers the advantage of proximity to your home, and a community of parents and students who reside near the school. You'll want to evaluate the school to make sure the academic program, size of the school and quality of education meet your child's needs before choosing this option.
School Transfer
The Ohio Administrative Code states that districts must allow intradistrict transfer. That is, they must allow a student in their district to apply for transfer to another school within the district. Seats will be allotted on a space available basis.
Each district must set its own timeline for the application process and criteria for prioritizing applications. It must also ensure that the appropriate racial balance is maintained in district schools. Contact your district to learn about its specific procedures for school choice.
You also have the right to apply for an interdistrict transfer to a school outside your home district. Districts must set their own application process and admission criteria, as well as maintain an appropriate racial balance in their schools. Check with the district you are interested in to find out their application policies.
The No Child Left Behind Law
Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, you may request to have your child transferred to another school in the same district if your child's current school is classified as "in need of improvement." If your child transfers, the district will pay for transportation costs up to a certain cap. However, not all requests can be granted because other schools in the district may not have the capacity to accept more students.
If none of your district's schools have the capacity to accept transfers, the law requires the district to try to form agreements with other districts to allow for transfers.
If your district is unable to immediately provide a transfer, if your transfer request is denied, or if you'd rather not transfer your child, you can still inquire at your school about tutoring, after-school programs, summer school and other programs to help improve your child's performance. Districts are required to provide these supplemental education services to your child if he attends a school that is "in need of improvement." For more information on the No Child Left Behind Act, see What No Child Left Behind Means for Your Child.
Community Schools/Charter Schools
Charter schools in Ohio are known as "community schools." Ohio's population of charter schools is growing; Ohio currently has the sixth highest number of charter schools in the U.S. Charter schools are not available in quite a lot of smaller districts, though. There are currently 243 charter schools, but they are found in only 39 of Ohio's 613 districts.
Ohio calls its charters "community schools" because it hopes to advance the idea that a child's education doesn't only take place inside school. Community schools seek to involve students in the community, provide them learning experiences outside school, and show them opportunities for success in non-academic fields. They also place a greater emphasis on volunteerism, though volunteering is not required.
In a community school, you'll likely find a strong connection to local community members and businesses. Some schools even collaborate with nearby colleges. You'll find lots of student support programs, such as drug prevention and youth development, as well as adult education programs.
For more information on charter schools, see Charter Schools Offer an Array of Choices. Search Ohio's community schools for a list of all Ohio charters.
Magnet Schools
Magnet schools draw together students from a variety of racial, economic and geographic backgrounds with a specially focused curriculum. They may exist as separate schools or a public school may have a magnet program. The program may emphasize any of a number of fields, from business to science or art. They are public schools but they often do not have room to accept all applicants. If there are more applicants than available spaces, spaces are allocated either selectively or randomly, depending on the district. Contact your district to explore your magnet school options.
Private Schools
Public school districts provide some services to students of private schools. They provide transportation to school up to a certain capped amount. If the district is not able to provide transportation for a price lower than this cap, the district will give that amount of money to the parents for use toward the cost of transportation. Districts must provide services such as instruction to home-bound students (students who must stay at home due to injury or illness, for example) and instruction to students who speak limited English. The district may place disabled students in a private school at no cost to the parents if it will better meet the child's needs.
Families of students pay tuition or, in some cases, students receive scholarships to attend private schools. The teachers, principal, board of directors and sometimes parents and students decide upon the curriculum, teaching methodology and enrollment requirements. For more information on private schools see Private vs. Public Schools: What's the Difference? and Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools.
Private schools must provide an equivalent number of hours of instructional time as a public school. Private school students must pass Ohio's ninth grade proficiency tests. They also have the option to participate in dual credit programs (simultaneously earning college and high school credit for a class).
Vouchers
Low-income students in Cleveland can apply for vouchers to attend the public or private school of their choice. There are between 5 and 6,000 vouchers available for a given school year — enough to meet most of the demand, but not all. The maximum value of the voucher is $2,700.
Homeschooling
You may also choose to educate your child at home. Ohio law requires that your child receive at least 900 hours of instruction per school year including specified subjects. Your child must either take a standardized test yearly to ensure he or she is receiving an adequate education or the parents and superintendent may agree on a third party (usually a teacher) to review a portfolio of the child's academic work and report to the superintendent about the child's level of advancement. If the child's performance is unsatisfactory, the superintendent will require a remediation program and, if that fails, placement in a public or private school.
See Homeschooling in Ohio for a resource listing of homeschooling organizations and other information.
See Homeschooling: Key Facts and Resources for more information on homeschooling.
Free College Courses
High school juniors and seniors may take free classes for both high school and college credit at participating colleges. Low-income children may even be eligible for reimbursement for transportation. Contact your district to find participating colleges near you.
Additional Resources
GreatSchools links
Interdistrict and Intradistrict Transfer in Ohio: Options Beyond Your Neighborhood School
Enrolling in Kindergarten in Ohio
Find evaluations of each Ohio school in Ohio School Report Cards.
July 2005
