Proof is in the pudding: Ohio estimates school choice will grow 20% in 2 years 

Ohio is expecting a massive increase in families seeking school choice scholarships.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce projected the state’s Educational Choice Expansion Scholarship (EdChoice) Program will grow 15% in 2025-26 and another 7.5% the year after, reported the Dayton Daily News.

Lacey Snoke, a spokeswoman for the department, said the projections will be used to create budget estimates, although parents are the ones ultimately deciding where Ohio’s education dollars are spent. 

“The state does not determine what EdChoice growth will be – parents determine that by choosing to apply for scholarships to enroll students in participating chartered nonpublic schools,” said Snoke.  

The EdChoice program launched in 2013 and was made nearly universal in 2023 by Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican.  

Participation exploded, shooting up from around 20,000 students to nearly 90,000 in 2024.  

Scholarships are prorated according to the family’s income level, with the poorest students receiving the most assistance. The average scholarship is $5,500, the equivalent of the state’s portion of public-school funding.  

In comparison, public schools in Ohio spend nearly $17,000 per student, according to the Education Data Initiative. 

Most of that ($8,800) comes from local sources, while only $2,300 comes from the federal government.  

The state also has several other school choice programs including tax credits for private and homeschooled students and scholarships for special needs students.  

School choice is a success in Ohio, with the state ranking 10th nationally in the education freedom index, with strong scores for state programs, charter schools and homeschooling.