Last verified: October 2026
What does it take to hold an Ohio charter as a private school?
Meeting Ohio's operating standards and keeping DEW informed. The application opens with an online tutorial; after that come a compliance plan and checklist, the state's nonpublic school report, an affidavit stating the school's intent and a nondiscrimination policy. DEW issues the charter for one named school at one address, under one owner, for specific grades.
What does a non-chartered school in Ohio give up?
The voucher, mainly. Schools on this path cite sincere religious reasons for declining a charter; each summer and early fall (July 1 to September 30) they send parents and DEW a statement that minimum standards are met. Their students also lose any claim to district busing and state auxiliary services.
What do scholarship students change for a chartered school?
Testing. Every voucher student takes Ohio's state assessments, and once voucher students reach 65% of a school's enrollment the elementary assessments become schoolwide unless DEW grants a waiver.
How have Cincinnati-area schools chosen?
Mostly in favor of a charter: 143 schools in our directory hold one. DEW's 2026-27 roster still lists 22 non-chartered schools across the four counties, many of them small congregational or home-based programs, and each school's listing here shows which path it took.
| Chartered | Non-chartered (NCNP) | |
|---|---|---|
| EdChoice students | Can enroll | Cannot enroll |
| State operating standards | Required | Minimum standards certified to parents |