Education vouchers open up more options for homebuyers
By Steve Morbitzer
Coldwell Banker King Thompson
Coldwell Banker King Thompson
Residential real estate agents know one of the biggest draws for families into an area is the school system, but not every family is able to pick the school system they want to live in.
Ohioans have options.
The Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship program (EdChoice) provides a limited number of scholarships to students who attend persistently under-performing public schools. The scholarship, sometimes called a voucher, must be used to attend a participating private school.
Simply put, this program helps students assigned to poor schools attend better schools. This, in turn, opens up more location options for families searching for a home.
Families who are in the program say it’s a huge benefit and they feel like the middle class is finally getting help.
Sharon Siedlecki, agent with Coldwell Banker King Thompson and president of the Midtown Area Real Estate Association feels buyers will be able to expand their search. “Now homeowners will not feel pressure to move from a neighborhood they may like just to be in a good schools system.”
As a parent taking advantage of the voucher program, I’d have to agree!
How do you qualify?
I’ve found that trying to find information about the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Program is a lot like looking for Big Foot or a river monster. There’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there.
So here it is:
The program is not based on a family’s income level, number of children, demographic makeup of the area, or even the student’s grades.
Students qualify based on the public school they are assigned to.
If the public school they are assigned to has been on Academic Emergency or Academic Watch for two out of the past three years, students in that area may apply for the scholarships to attend private schools participating in the program.
A family who resides in a designated school district can qualify for one voucher per student, not household.
The one stipulation I found is that students attending a private school the year before they apply and home-schooled students are not eligible.
How many scholarships are available?
The number of scholarships is limited, but rising.
In 2005, the number was set at 14,000. After the number of applicants passed the available scholarships, legislators raised the number to 30,000 for 2011/2012 school year and to 60,000 available scholarships in the 2012/2013 school year.
Sarah Pechan, Director of Community Programs for School Choice Ohio says, “There are 100,000 students eligible for the scholarship, but not all of the current 30,000 available scholarships are being used.”
Is the scholarship only for one year?
Current legislation states, once in the program, the student keeps the scholarship unless he or she moves from the school district. The student may move within the district and be assigned to a different school yet keep the scholarship.
Even if the student’s assigned school improves or if the middle school or high school is performing well, the scholarship isn’t taken away.
According to a letter sent to parents by the Ohio Department of Education, there are five reasons a scholarship can be taken away:
1) The student moved to a new school district and would not be assigned to a designated school
2) The student did not take the state required achievement tests for his/her grade level
3) The student was absent from school for more than 20 unexcused days
4) A completed renewal form is not submitted by April 13,2012
5) The selected private school with valid proof of address is not provided.
How much do the scholarships cover?
Currently the scholarship covers $4,250 per year for Kindergarten – 8th Grade and $5,000 per year for high school.
The scholarship may not cover 100% of the tuition. However, if this is the case, the family has options.
If the household income level is 200% of the poverty line or below, the balance of the tuition must be forgiven. If the family household income is above this, the school must give the family the option to earn the balance through volunteer hours, or the family can pay the balance.
For more info
For more information, visit ode.state.oh.us. Click on EdChoice Scholarship Program (under School Options).
Click on EdChoice General Information to find a list of designated schools which qualify for a 2012/2013 scholarship (Designated Public Schools) and a list of schools where students can use the scholarship (Participating Private Schools).
The participating school will be able to provide the family with the appropriate paper work to fill out to submit to the state. The school will submit all forms.
