TL;DR: The state's 2026-27 designated list covers 45 of the 62 open buildings in Cincinnati Public Schools, so most CPS families can claim traditional EdChoice, which pays the full $6,166 (K-8) or $8,408 (9-12) at any income. Six more districts in Hamilton and Butler counties add 25 designated buildings; Warren and Clermont have none. For households above 450% of poverty, that difference is worth thousands of dollars.
How many Cincinnati Public Schools buildings are EdChoice-designated for 2026-27?
Forty-five of the district's 62 open buildings, about 73%, appear as designated on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) spreadsheet titled "2026-2027 EdChoice Scholarship Designated School List with Criteria." Every one of the 45 qualified the same way. None met the academic-distress test (Option A); all met Option B, which pairs a bottom-20% performance-index ranking in two of the last three years with a Title I poverty average of 20% or more.
The designated buildings run across every part of the city and every grade band: 13 buildings serving preschool through 6th grade, seven high schools serving grades 9-12, several 7-12 and K-8 campuses, and the district's virtual high school. Westwood, Roll Hill, Mt. Washington, Hughes STEM, Western Hills University, Withrow University and Woodward Career Technical are all on the list.
What matters for your family is the building your child would be assigned to, not the one your child attends today. A child already enrolled at a parish school in Price Hill still qualifies if the CPS building for that address is designated.
Which CPS buildings are not on the 2026-27 designated list?
Seventeen open CPS buildings are not designated: Dater Montessori, Cheviot, Covedale, Fairview-Clifton German Language, Hyde Park, George Hays-Jennie Porter, the Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students, Clifton Area Neighborhood School, Kilgour, Shroder Middle, Pleasant Ridge Montessori, Sands Montessori, Sayler Park, Walnut Hills High School, Parker Woods Montessori, the School for Creative and Performing Arts and Clark Montessori High School.
Several of those are magnet or citywide-application schools, so a family's neighborhood assignment can differ from the magnet a child attends. Check the assigned building with the district's school-finder before you rely on either answer. If your assigned building is one of the 17, your child can still use EdChoice Expansion; the only difference is that Expansion is scaled by income.
When does traditional EdChoice pay more than Expansion?
Only when household income is above 450% of the 2026 poverty guideline, which is $148,500 for a family of four. Below that line both programs pay the maximum. Above it, Expansion halves for every 100 points of income, while traditional EdChoice stays at the full amount. The figures below come from DEW's FY27 award workbook.
| Household of four, adjusted gross income | Traditional EdChoice, K-8 | Expansion, K-8 | Difference per child |
|---|---|---|---|
| $148,500 (450% of poverty) | $6,166.00 | $6,166.00 | $0 |
| $181,500 (550%) | $6,166.00 | $3,083.00 | $3,083.00 |
| $214,500 (650%) | $6,166.00 | $1,541.50 | $4,624.50 |
| $264,000 (800%) | $6,166.00 | $616.60 | $5,549.40 |
For a high schooler the gap is wider because the 9-12 base is $8,408. At 650% of poverty, Expansion pays $2,102 while traditional EdChoice pays the full $8,408.
Which other Southwest Ohio districts have designated buildings?
Six districts beyond CPS have designated buildings this year, all in Hamilton or Butler County. Middletown City has 8 of its 9 open buildings on the list, Hamilton City 4 of 12, Mount Healthy 4 of 5, North College Hill all 4, New Miami all 3 and Lockland both of its 2. That is 70 designated buildings across the four counties we cover.
Not one building in Warren or Clermont County is designated, so families in Mason, Lebanon, Springboro, Milford or Amelia should plan on Expansion unless a sibling, foster or kinship rule applies. Our designated buildings page lists every building by district.
Does a designated building matter if our income is under 450% of poverty?
Less than you might think, but it still matters in two ways. The dollar amount is identical below 450%, so a household of four earning $90,000 receives $6,166 per K-8 child either way. The paperwork differs: traditional EdChoice does not require income verification at all, while new Expansion applicants must submit household income. And a household that wants low-income status, which protects it from any tuition bill above the award, has to verify income under either program; the line is $66,000 for four people.
Siblings are the other reason to claim traditional when you can. A student who holds a traditional scholarship this year makes younger brothers and sisters eligible for traditional EdChoice next year, whatever building they would be assigned to.
What traditional EdChoice is not
It is not a reward for attending a struggling school; the test is assignment, not attendance. It is not portable either. If the family moves to a district with no designated building, say from Westwood to Anderson Township, traditional eligibility generally ends and the child would switch to Expansion. And it is not the only route to traditional EdChoice: siblings of last year's recipients, foster children, children in kinship care and some former Jon Peterson or Autism students qualify regardless of address.
How do we apply now that the school year has started?
Through the private school, once your child is accepted. The school files the application in DEW's online system; you supply a birth certificate, proof of address less than 90 days old and the signed Scholarship Request Form. Because it is after October 14, 2026, the award is prorated for the part of the year left after enrollment. The 2026-27 window stays open until June 30, 2027. Not sure which school can take the scholarship? Our school directory shows each school's Ohio charter status.
Frequently asked questions
How many Cincinnati Public Schools buildings are EdChoice-designated for 2026-27?
Forty-five of the district's 62 open buildings, about 73%, appear as designated on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) spreadsheet titled "2026-2027 EdChoice Scholarship Designated School List with Criteria."
When does traditional EdChoice pay more than Expansion?
Only when household income is above 450% of the 2026 poverty guideline, which is $148,500 for a family of four.
Which other Southwest Ohio districts have designated buildings?
Six districts beyond CPS have designated buildings this year, all in Hamilton or Butler County.
How do we apply now that the school year has started?
Through the private school, once your child is accepted.
Related questions
- Who else qualifies for traditional EdChoice?
- What would Expansion pay at our income?
- Which costs does EdChoice leave to the family?
- Which private schools are on the West Side?