Ohio's EdChoice Scholarship Program, a voucher program for students attending chronically underperforming schools, will begin to accept applications for the 2011-2012 school year tomorrow, February 1. EdChoice is a state-funded program that gives students who attend underperforming public schools a voucher worth up to $5,000 to go to a private school of their choice.
According to School Choice Ohio, which works to protect and expand children's educational options in the Buckeye State, 85,453 Ohio students are eligible to apply for the public voucher for the coming school year. However, because of a state-mandated cap on enrollment only 14,000 students are permitted to participate in the program.
To be eligible for one of the coveted vouchers students must attend one of the 197 schools rated academic watch (D) or academic emergency (F) by the state for two of the past three years.? During the 2010-2011 school year the voucher program almost reached the statutory cap of 14,000 students with just a little over 13,000 participating in the program.? Participation in the voucher program has steadily increased since its inception in 2006, and this year's participation will most likely be on the same path. Chad Aldis, Executive Director of School Choice Ohio urges families to ?to act quickly and enroll their children in this transformational program?.
To find out more about which schools are voucher eligible and the private schools participating in the program?check out School Choice Ohio's website.
-Bianca Speranza
