School Choice

School Choice and Homeschool in Ohio

Private school choice programs, charter schools, homeschool rules and private schools in Ohio. Facts as of November 2026.

Choice programs5At least one is universal
Charter schoolsAllowedPublic charter law
Homeschool noticeYesTesting: No

Private school choice programs

How they work ›

EdChoice Scholarship (traditional)

Voucher Limited Enacted 2005 (year not confirmed)

Limited to K-12 students assigned to or attending designated low-performing public school buildings, plus siblings and certain foster, guardianship and homeless students.

R.C. 3310.03; administered by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

Official source

EdChoice Expansion Scholarship

Voucher Universal Enacted 2013

Open to any K-12 student outside the Cleveland school district who is not eligible for traditional EdChoice; families submit household income for verification and the statute sets no income cap (funded by appropriation).

R.C. 3310.032; first enacted by H.B. 59 (2013) as an income-based expansion and opened to all income levels beginning with 2023-24 by H.B. 33. The FY27 application window runs Feb 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 per the Department fact sheet.

Official source

Cleveland Scholarship (Pilot Project Scholarship Program)

Voucher Limited Enacted 1995 (year not confirmed)

Limited to students residing in the Cleveland school district (the pilot project district).

R.C. 3313.974 to 3313.979.

Official source

Autism Scholarship Program

Voucher Limited Enacted 2003 (year not confirmed)

Limited to children with autism who qualify as special education children with an individualized education program, for services from a registered private or alternative public provider.

R.C. 3310.41.

Official source

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

Voucher Limited Enacted 2011 (year not confirmed)

Limited to special education students with an individualized education program, for services from a registered private or alternative public provider.

R.C. 3310.52; the statute says the program began with the 2012-2013 school year.

Official source

Charter schools

Ohio has a public charter school law.

Official source

Homeschool rules

Parents send a notice to the district superintendent within five days of starting home education and by August 30 each year, assuring instruction in the required subjects. State law requires no testing or assessment report and no district approval. Check your state's law before you start.

Notice: Yes Testing: No

Law: Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.042. Official source

Notes

Per a news report (secondary source, not confirmed on an official page), the 10th District Court of Appeals ruled EdChoice unconstitutional on or about Oct. 15, 2026; the ruling is stayed, the program continues, and an appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court is expected. Ohio calls charter schools community schools. Enactment years for EdChoice (2005), Cleveland (1995), Autism (2003) and Jon Peterson (2011) come from general knowledge and were not confirmed on an official page.

Some items in a note may rest on news reports rather than an official source.

Private schools in Ohio

The private school list will appear here after the first scheduled update.

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Sources: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce: Scholarships, Ohio Revised Code 3310.03 (EdChoice eligibility), Ohio Revised Code 3310.032 (EdChoice Expansion), Ohio Revised Code 3313.975 (Pilot project scholarship program), Ohio Revised Code 3310.41 (Autism scholarship), Ohio Revised Code 3310.52 (Jon Peterson scholarship), Ohio Revised Code 3314.01 (Community schools), Ohio Revised Code 3321.042 (Home education), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce: FY27 EdChoice fact sheet, Cleveland19: EdChoice ruled unconstitutional by Court of Appeals, Oct. 15, 2026 (secondary source), NCES Private School Universe Survey. State facts as of November 2026. Check your state's law before you start.