Whether or not your professional or personal life connects you to our local education community, you’ve likely heard the term “EdChoice” mentioned more than once.
Created by the Ohio General Assembly nearly 20 years ago, the EdChoice Scholarship Program was initially limited to students assigned to low-performing public schools. Over time, the program expanded to allow significantly more families to qualify for EdChoice dollars.
In total, Ohio operates five private school scholarship programs, the largest being EdChoice, which lawmakers made available to nearly all families beginning in the 2023–2024 school year.
As eligibility broadened, participation and state spending increased dramatically, with EdChoice expanding from $124 million serving about 22,000 students in FY23 to nearly $493 million serving roughly 100,000 students in FY25, and total scholarship spending across all programs reaching nearly $1.1 billion. These shifts represent a significant change in how education is funded in Ohio, and they underscore why it is more important than ever to elevate the value of public education and share the many ways our public schools continue to serve students, families and communities.
The #IChoosePublicSchools campaign is a unified statement of pride and support for Montgomery County’s public schools and for public education across Ohio. Let me be clear, I believe in school choice. However, I also know that, contrary to popular belief, most Ohio families still choose to send their children to public schools.
This is the central focus of our campaign. In each community, public schools are the school of choice for so many.
I believe parents should have the right to choose their children’s school. Name your choice — Community, Private, STEM, Home, Early Colleges or any other choice of school — they all have a place in the ecosystem of education. But what you give energy to grows. So we are choosing not to give our energy to defending why public schools should be supported.
Instead, through this campaign, we are spending the time championing the public good of public education.
Our campaign goals can be broken down into the following:
- Know the Facts (According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce):
- 74,000 students attend public schools in Montgomery County
- 87% of all K-12 students in Montgomery County attend public schools
- Public schools employ more than 4,500 educators and student support staff in Montgomery County
- Show the Impact: Demonstrate the impact public schools have on their communities.
- Elevate Voices: Showcase authentic stories from educators, students, alumni, and community icons.
- Strengthen Advocacy: Reinforce public schools as the heart of communities and influence how they are valued and supported.
- Drive Visibility: Achieve recognition through digital, print, and in-person engagement. I do think it is important to note that public schools remain responsible for being the “school of choice” in their communities by meeting the needs of all students, the community, and the workforce. And while that is a heavy lift, all public schools we serve and work alongside take that responsibility very seriously. Unlike alternative institutions, public schools must educate every student who enters their doors, regardless of the unique challenges each individual student may face.
Our schools are held to the highest of accountability standards, and it’s just one of the reasons why they deserve the backing and pride of our collective community. Working closely with their district’s designated Business Advisory Council (BAC) and other employment partners, public schools serve as the hub of workforce and economic development for most communities.
Public schools are where many of our brightest young minds grow into future leaders — so deeply connected to the communities that supported their journey that they choose to plant their roots and build their futures there.
Our public schools help build a sense of identity and community wherever they exist. While the educational experience will continue to evolve as new generations move through the system, I truly believe it will only become more enriching and positive as we continue to support and lift up our public education system. Whether you are a supporter of our community’s public schools, a proud product of public education, an employee within the public school system, or a family with a student currently enrolled, we invite you to join the campaign.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Follow along on MCESC social media (@MCESCohio), use the hashtags #IChoosePublicSchools and #ISupportPublicSchools, and share your own story of why your family chooses, or has chosen, public schools by connecting with our MCESC Communications & PR Coordinator at sarah.fries@mcesc.org.
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