School Sectors in OhioNuts and Bolts of School Options
Private Schools (Chartered)
Chartered private schools are not fully funded bytax dollars, so they require families to pay tuition. Families can take advantage of state-sponsored scholarship programs available to help with the cost of tuition. Chartered private schools maintain the right to have admissions standards and be selective when accepting students. These schools agree to follow Ohio’s state-approved school operating standards and curriculum.
Private Schools (Non-Chartered)
Non-chartered private schools choose not to be chartered by the State Board of Education, and therefore they are not eligible to receive any tax-funded support. This allows these schools to have complete flexibility over their curriculum without state oversight. Non-chartered private schools are required to annually certify that the school is meeting Ohio's School Operating Standardsin a report to parents.
Public Charter Schools
Charter schools, or community schools, are independently operated public schools, overseen by the state, with more flexibility than traditional district schoolsto make decisions around curriculum, scheduling, staffing and learning environments. There are two types of charter schools – on-site and online, where students use online curriculum. Charter schools are free and are required to accept all students who apply unless more students apply than they have seats.
Career-Technical Education
Career-tech programs emphasize real-world skills and knowledge to prepare students for college and a career. Students usually begin career-tech programs in the 11th grade, but some programsstart as early as ninthgrade. Tech Prep is the college-prep version of career-tech.
Neighborhood Schools
All Ohio students are assigned to a specific public school based on their family’s address. These schools are responsible for meeting the needs of all students in their area. Many families choose their home based on what neighborhood school is assigned to their address. Students from outside a district can attend any public school if the district they want to enter participates in open enrollment, or if they can pay the public school’s tuition.
Magnet Schools/Lottery Schools
Magnet and lottery schools provide a specialized curriculum at a school that is designed to draw students from across a whole district rather than from a specific neighborhood. They often have specialized academic focuses or themes, like arts or STEM,which allow students to explore their individual interests. Magnet schools can be highly selective and lottery schoolscan have application-based open admission.
Homeschool
Families sometimes want totake their children’s education into their own hands by educating their children themselves. Today, they use many different tools to deliver their homeschool curriculum, such as textbooks, correspondence courses, workbooks, videos and software. Families can choose to join a co-op or support group to complement their home education.
Universities
Through dual credit programs created by the state, high school students have the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school and earn both high school and college credit for each course.