Student
Enrollment
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Ohio Public School Students Ohio has 1.6 million public school students of varying backgrounds and characteristics.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Public school enrollment statistics include traditional district, public charter, and independent STEM school students, but do not include students attending joint-vocational districts and educational service centers, pupils attending nonpublic schools, or home schooled students. More information about those enrollments are found in the “School Options” section.
Public School Enrollment by Grade Level Ohio has approximately 100,000 to 130,000 public school students per grade level.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24).
Public School Enrollment Trends Since 2005-06, overall public school enrollment has declined by 10 percent. White student enrollment has fallen by 24 percent, while African American student enrollment has declined by 6 percent.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2005-06 to 2023-24). Pre-2020 enrollment data are not presently available in Advanced Reports, but were pulled from the database for prior editions of Ohio Education by the Numbers. Note: The percentages refer to the percent change from 2006 to 2024. The chart displays the spring part of the school year, a convention often used in this guide.
Public School Enrollment Trends Since 2005-06, Hispanic student enrollment has more than tripled, while multiracial and Asian/Pacific Islander student enrollments have more than doubled.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2005-06 to 2023-24). Note: The percentages refer to the percent changes from 2006 to 2024.
Public School Enrollment Trends by Selected Characteristics Since 2005-06, English learner enrollment has more than doubled, while the number of students with disabilities has slightly increased. The number of students identified as gifted has declined by 21 percent.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2005-06 to 2023-24). Note: The percentages refer to the percent changes from 2006 to 2024.
Children in poverty In Ohio, about one in five children under eighteen are from families with incomes at or below the federal poverty level ($30,900 for a family of four in 2023). The percentage of children in poverty in Ohio is slightly higher than the national rate.
Source: Childhood poverty data are from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center and based on U.S. Census poverty estimates (data were not reported for 2020). Notes: Ohio reports “economically disadvantaged” rates but those numbers are now unreliable as they are tied to eligibility for subsidized meals. Through a federal program known as Community Eligibility Provision, many districts and schools now provide all students—regardless of household income— free- and reduced-priced meals. In turn, participating schools report universal economically disadvantaged rates, which significantly overstates the number of low-income students.
Ohio School Districts and Typologies For analytic purposes, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce categorizes districts into eight typologies based on their geographic and socio-economic characteristics. This publication displays various statistics by typology to illustrate patterns of enrollment and achievement across the state.
Source: Ohio DEW, School District Typology. Note: This map displays the border of each district and its corresponding typology.
Public School Students by Typology
28 percent of Ohio students reside in urban areas, 35 percent are from suburban communities, 21 percent live in small towns, and 14 percent are from rural areas. Another 2 percent of students attend online charter schools.
The Urban: Very High Poverty typology consists of the Ohio Eight districts— Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown—as well as the charter/STEM schools located in those districts.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Overview” (2023-24). Note: Public charter and STEM schools are assigned to the typology of the district in which the school is located, as reported in DEW’s community school directory. Online charters—also known as e-schools—are not included in a typology, since they can enroll students statewide. The charter and STEM category consists of 336 charters and 7 STEMs.
Change in Enrollment by District Typology, 2016 to 2024 Between 2015-16 and 2023-24, enrollment has declined across all district typologies, except for suburban, very low-poverty districts.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Overview” (2023-24) and enrollment calculations from Fordham’s first edition of Ohio Education by the Numbers (2016). This chart uses 2015-16 as the baseline year (whereas other enrollment trend charts start with 2005-06) based on data availability. The percentages in parentheses represent the change in enrollment between 2016 and 2024.
Race/Ethnic Composition by District Typology A majority of students attending urban: very high poverty schools are African American or Hispanic (70 percent), while urban: high poverty and suburban districts have the most diverse student populations. Rural and small town districts are predominately white.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Disaggregated Race/Ethnicity” (2023-24). Note: For display purposes, the percentages for student groups representing less than 2 percent are omitted. API = Asian/Pacific Islander.
Selected Student Groups by District Typology Roughly 15 to 20 percent of students in the various typologies are students with disabilities; gifted students make up a noticeably higher proportion of students in the suburban: very low poverty typology than the others; EL students make up a larger fraction of students attending urban schools.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Disaggregated Disability/Gifted/English Learner” (2023-24).
Ohio’s Twenty-Five Largest Districts by Enrollment (2023-24)
Note: Ohio Virtual Academy, a statewide e-school, is considered equivalent to a school district. This table does not include charter or STEM students as part of the district’s student population.
School
Options
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Enrollment by Educational Model Roughly 80 percent of Ohio students attend traditional public school districts, while more than 110,000 students attend charter schools and more than 200,000 students attend non-public schools or homeschool.
Source: All data are for 2023-24 and drawn from various sources from Ohio DEW.
Public Charter Schools Ohio has 336 charter schools—also known as community schools—serving more than 115,000 students.
Sources: Ohio DEW downloadable file titled “Building Overview” was used to calculate enrollments for 2023-24 and the community school directory was used to identify the type of charter school. Historical enrollment data were drawn from DEW, Community School Annual Report: 2022-2023.
Characteristics of Charter School Students Reflecting the location of charter schools, Ohio charter school students are disproportionately Black and Hispanic and mostly from urban communities.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24), for demographic data. The Ohio DEW downloadable file titled “Building Overview” was used to calculate enrollments by typology. Note: Except for the typology section, statistics in this table include online charter schools.
Interdistrict Open Enrollment Four in five Ohio districts participate in interdistrict open enrollment. Roughly 77,000 students open enroll, with participation—until very recently—increasing over time.
Sources: Two sources were used for this chart, based on the availability of data. For 2002-03 to 2011-12, data from the Ohio Auditor of State’s 2016 report, Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Open Enrollment were used. For 2012-13 to 2023-24, enrollments are calculated based on school districts’ funding reports; see Ohio DEW, Traditional Public Schools Funding.
Private School Scholarships Just over 160,000 students use state-funded scholarships (often referred to as vouchers) to attend private schools. The large increase in participation starting in 2023-24 reflects expanded eligibility, as all students now qualify for some level of support under the income-based EdChoice scholarship.
Source: Historical data through 2020-21 are from American Federation for Children, School Choice Yearbook (2021). Ohio DEW began reporting more detailed data in 2021-22, and numbers since then are from Advanced Reports. Note: The chart displays the total number of students in the various scholarship programs, and the 2024-25 program numbers in parentheses. Data for 2024-25 reflect preliminary numbers reported in Advanced Reports in January 2025. For more information on each program, see Ohio DEW’s webpage, Scholarships.
Homeschooling More than 50,000 students participate in homeschooling; the number of homeschoolers significantly increased starting in 2020-21.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports. Note: Students attending online charter schools are not considered homeschool students.
Student Achievement:
National Exams
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National Exams: NAEP 2024 Approximately 30 to 45 percent of Ohio students reach the national standard for proficiency, just above the national average.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer (2024). Note: The figure displays proficiency rates—the percentage of students achieving NAEP’s rigorous proficiency benchmark. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), considered the “Nation’s Report Card,” is administered to a representative sample of fourth and eighth grade students in each state every two years in reading and math.
Ohio Compared to Other States Nationally, Ohio ranks between 12th and 15th in fourth and eighth grade math and reading. Ohio’s national position has typically been between 10th and 20th for the past two decades.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer. Note: The table displays Ohio’s rank on NAEP scores among all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense schools (52 jurisdictions in all).
National Exams: How Ohio Compares to Nearby States In fourth grade, Ohio ranks just below Indiana and Pennsylvania in reading and below Minnesota in math. However, it ranks above other nearby states such as Illinois and Michigan in both subjects.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer (2024). Note: The figure displays proficiency rates—the percentage of students achieving NAEP’s rigorous proficiency benchmark.
National Exams: How Ohio Compares to Nearby States In eighth grade, Ohio ranks just below Illinois and Indiana in reading and below Wisconsin and Minnesota in math. However, it ranks above other nearby states such as Kentucky and Michigan in both subjects.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer (2024). Note: The figure displays proficiency rates—the percentage of students achieving NAEP’s rigorous proficiency benchmark.
Ohio’s NAEP Scores over Time: Fourth Grade Ohio’s fourth grade reading scores have been largely flat until recent declines that follow national trends. Fourth grade math scores increased from 2003 to 2013 but have declined in more recent years.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer. Note: The NAEP trend charts display scaled scores. Scores are reported on a scale of 0 and 500, with the score needed to reach proficient displayed for reference.
Ohio’s NAEP Scores over Time: Eighth Grade Ohio’s eighth grade reading scores were largely flat until the significant decline in 2022 and 2024. Eighth grade math scores fell sharply in 2022 and recovered slightly in 2024.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer. Note: The NAEP trend charts display scaled scores. Scores are reported on a scale of 0 and 500, with the score needed to reach proficient displayed for reference.
National Exams: Achievement by Race/Ethnicity Approximately 40 to 50 percent of Ohio’s white fourth grade students achieve proficiency on NAEP, but less than 15 percent of Ohio’s Black students do so.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer (2024). Note: The figure displays proficiency rates—the percentage of students achieving NAEP’s rigorous proficiency benchmark. Smaller race/ethnic subgroups are omitted for display purposes.
National Exams: Achievement by Race/Ethnicity Between 35 and 40 percent of Ohio’s white eighth grade students achieve proficiency on NAEP, but just 10 percent of Black students in Ohio do so.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, Data Explorer (2024). Note: The figure displays proficiency rates—the percentage of students achieving NAEP’s rigorous proficiency benchmark. Smaller race/ethnic subgroups are omitted for display purposes.
Student Achievement:
State Exams
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Statewide Achievement in Selected Grades and Subjects
In third grade ELA, 43 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels (accomplished or advanced), 22 percent scored proficient, and 36 percent fell short of proficiency.
In third grade math, 42 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels, 20 percent scored proficient, and 38 percent fell short of proficiency.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Percentages may not add to 100 percent due to rounding and the exclusion of a small percentage of untested students. Not displayed is the “advanced plus” level, a category used when students score “advanced” on an above-grade-level assessment. In third grade, 0.1 percent of students scored advanced plus in ELA and math.
Statewide Achievement in Selected Grades and Subjects
In seventh grade ELA, 41 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels (accomplished or advanced), 21 percent scored proficient, and 38 percent fell short of proficiency.
In seventh grade math, 27 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels, 22 percent scored proficient, and 50 percent fell short of proficiency.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Percentages may not add to 100 percent due to rounding and the exclusion of a small percentage of untested students. In ELA, 0.4 percent of seventh grade students scored advanced plus.
Statewide Achievement in Selected Grades and Subjects
In high school English II, 31 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels (accomplished or advanced), 29 percent scored proficient, and 38 percent fell short of proficiency.
In algebra I, 33 percent of students scored in the top achievement levels, 22 percent scored proficient, and 43 percent fell short of proficiency.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Percentages may not add to 100 percent due to rounding and the exclusion of a small percentage of untested students. In English, 0.5 percent of students scored advanced plus.
Proficiency Rates by Race/Ethnicity On average, Black and Hispanic students perform at lower levels than white students on third grade state exams.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Other race/ethnic subgroups are not shown for display purposes. Asian/Pacific Islander students generally achieve, on average, at higher levels than white students; multiracial students achieve at levels between white and Hispanic students.
Proficiency Rates by Race/Ethnicity On average, Black and Hispanic students perform at lower levels than white students on seventh grade state exams.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Other race/ethnic subgroups are not shown for display purposes. Asian/Pacific Islander students generally achieve, on average, at higher levels than white students; multiracial students achieve at levels between white and Hispanic students.
Proficiency Rates by Race/Ethnicity On average, Black and Hispanic students perform at lower levels than white students on high school state exams.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports (2023-24). Note: Other race/ethnic subgroups are not shown for display purposes. Asian/Pacific Islander students generally achieve, on average, at higher levels than white students; multiracial students achieve at levels between white and Hispanic students.
Proficiency Rates by District Typology Third grade proficiency rates are higher in low-poverty districts, and lower in high-poverty urban districts.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Achievement Data” (2023-24). Note: The typology averages are weighted by the number of third graders in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Proficiency Rates by District Typology Seventh grade proficiency rates are higher in low-poverty districts, and lower in high-poverty urban districts.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Achievement Data” (2023-24). Note: The typology averages are weighted by the number of seventh graders in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Proficiency Rates by District Typology High school proficiency rates are higher in low-poverty districts, and lower in high-poverty urban districts.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Achievement Data” (2023-24). Note: The typology averages are weighted by the number of ninth graders in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Proficiency Trends in Selected Grades Since the pandemic, proficiency rates have risen in third grade. In seventh grade, post-pandemic increases have been slightly smaller. Across both subjects and grades, proficiency rates in 2023-24 remain below 2018-19 rates.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports. Note: No data are displayed for 2019-20 due to the cancellation of state tests that year.
Proficiency Trends on Selected High School Exams Proficiency rates on state end-of-course (EOC) exams declined in 2020-21, reflecting Covid-related disruptions, and have rebounded in algebra I but not in geometry or English.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports. Note: No data are displayed for 2019-20 due to the cancellation of state tests that year.
Proficiency Rates on All State Exams The percentage of Ohio students reaching proficiency or above on the various state exams ranges from roughly 40 to 70 percent.
Source: Ohio DEW, Advanced Reports. Note: Data for 2019-20 are not displayed due to the cancellation of state tests that year.
Post-Secondary Readiness
and Outcomes
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ACT Scores Over Time Ohio’s average ACT composite score fell significantly beginning with the class of 2018, when all Ohio juniors began taking a college admissions exam. Ohio’s ACT scores have declined further since 2018.
Source: ACT, Average ACT Scores by State: Graduating Class of 2024; for historical data, see, e.g., ACT, Graduation Class of 2014—Ohio. Note: This chart displays the average ACT composite score on all four tested subjects (English, math, reading, and science). About three in four Ohio students took the ACT exams in the classes of 2005-17, while practically all students in the classes of 2018-20 did so. Participation was somewhat lower for the classes of 2021-24 (roughly 80-85 percent). Composite scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 36.
Average ACT Scores by Race/Ethnicity Large gaps in average ACT scores exist between racial/ethnic groups; disparities have not narrowed significantly over the past decade.
Source: ACT, U.S. High School Graduating Class Trends; for historical data, see, e.g., ACT, Graduation Class of 2014—Ohio. Note: ACT reports data for several smaller racial/ethnic student groups that are not displayed on this figure.
ACT Exam: College Readiness of the Class of 2024 College readiness varies by ACT content area—from just under 30 percent in math and science to 46 percent in English. Only 19 percent of Ohio students reach college ready benchmarks in all four areas of the ACT.
Source: ACT, U.S. High School Graduating Class Trends. Note: ACT establishes minimum test scores in each subject that indicate readiness for college coursework in that area. For more on the college-ready benchmarks, see ACT, What are the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks? These benchmarks are used by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to determine incoming college students’ remediation-free status.
Industry Credentials One in five students earn twelve or more points in Ohio’s industry credentialing system before graduating. Rates are highest in high-poverty areas of Ohio.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building CCWMR Data” (2023-24). Note: The rates show the percentage of students earning 12 or more points in Ohio’s industry credentialing system. Data are from the class of 2023, including non-graduates. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Advanced Placement (AP) Scores 14 percent of Ohio students pass at least one AP exam. Just over 40 percent of students from very low poverty suburban schools earn a passing score, while less than 5 percent of rural students do so.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building CCWMR Data” (2023-24). Note: The rates indicate the percentage of students earning a score of at least 3 out of 5 possible points on one or more AP exams. Students who do not take an AP exam are included in the denominator. Data are from the class of 2023, including non-graduates. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Dual Enrollment Credits 14 percent of Ohio students earn twelve or more college credits through dual enrollment programs. Approximately one in five students from small town and rural schools earn twelve or more credits, while less than one in ten urban students do so.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building CCWMR Data” (2023-24). Note: The rates indicate the percentage of students earning 12 or more college credits through a dual high school/college enrollment program (a.k.a. College Credit Plus). Data are from the class of 2023, including non-graduates. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Four-Year High School Graduation Rates 88 percent of Ohio students graduate high school in four years. Graduation rates exceed 90 percent in much of the state, with lower rates in urban communities.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building Graduation Rates” (2023-24). Note: Graduation rates indicate the percentage of students in the class of 2023 who earned a high school diploma within four years of entering ninth grade. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
Industry Credentials and AP Exam Trends Attainment of industry credentials rose significantly starting with the class of 2022, while the percentage of students passing an AP exam has remained flat.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable titled (depending on year) “State CCWMR Data” and “State Prepared for Success.”
Trends in Dual Enrollment and High School Graduation The percentage of students earning dual enrollment credits and the high school graduation rate have risen over the past decade.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable files titled (depending on year) “State CCWMR Data” and “State Prepared for Success,” as well as Advanced Reports for dual enrollment (three or more credits for the classes of 2022 and 2023). Note: To maintain consistency with historically reported dual enrollment rates, this page displays the percentage of students earning 3 or more dual enrollment credits (page 52 presents 12 or more credits).
College Enrollment Rates 48 percent of Ohio students enroll in two or four year colleges after high school. Enrollment is highest among students from suburban districts and lower among students from other locales.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building College Readiness” (2023-24). Note: The chart displays the percentage of the high school class of 2021 (including non-graduates) that enrolled in a two- or four-year college (Ohio or non-Ohio) within two years of high school. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
College Enrollment by Student Background College enrollment rates are highest among Asian/Pacific Islander and White students; they are also higher for females and non-disabled students.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable file titled “State College Readiness Data” (2023-24). Note: SWD = Students with disabilities.
College Completion Rates Just 30 percent of Ohio students attain at least an associate degree within six years of leaving high school. College completion rates are highest among students who attended high school in suburban areas and lower among students from urban areas.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW downloadable files titled “District and Building College Readiness” (2023-24). Note: The chart displays the percent of the high school class of 2017 (including non-graduates) who earned at least an associate degree within six years of high school at an Ohio or non-Ohio college or university. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in this class in each district, charter, or STEM school.
College Completion by Student Background College completion rates are highest among Asian/Pacific Islander and White students; they are also higher for females and non-disabled students.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable file titled “State College Readiness Data” (2023-24). Note: SWD = Students with disabilities.
Trends in College Enrollment and Completion College enrollment has declined in recent years, while college completion rates have remained nearly flat for the classes of 2009 to 2017.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable files titled (depending on year) “State College Readiness Data” and “State Prepared for Success.” Note: DEW has not yet reported college enrollment data for the classes of 2022 and beyond, nor completion data for the classes of 2018 and beyond.
Ohio’s
Educators
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Public School Teachers Ohio public schools employ roughly 100,000 teachers, or 16 students per teacher.
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public. (Position Title: “Teacher Assignment”). Note: The number of students per teacher is calculated based on student enrollment counts reported in the Student Enrollment section.
Characteristics of Ohio Teachers Nearly three in four teachers are female, and nearly 90 percent are white. Almost all teachers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public (2023-24).
Non-Teaching Staff Ohio public schools have approximately 220,000 non-teaching staff positions, or about 7 students per non-teaching position.
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public. Note: The number of students per non-teaching staff positions is calculated based on the student enrollment counts reported in the Student Enrollment section. These numbers account for part-time employees, as the state reports staffing positions on a full-time equivalent basis (e.g., two half-time employees are reported as 1 FTE). Non-teaching staff likely represent the majority of part-time school employees.
Staffing in Ohio Schools Classroom teachers represent about one-third of the total staff positions in public schools
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public (2023-24). Note: Descriptions of staff positions are available at Ohio DEW, EMIS Manual, Section 3.9: Position Codes. These numbers account for part-time employees, as the state reports staffing positions on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis (e.g., two half-time employees are reported as 1 FTE). Non-teaching staff likely represent the majority of part-time school employees.
Teacher Salaries by District Typology The average teacher in Ohio earns just over $72,000. Suburban and urban districts’ teacher salaries are higher than small town and rural district salaries.
Source: Calculations based on Ohio DEW, downloadable file titled “District Teacher Information.” Note: This chart includes teacher salaries from traditional school districts—charter and STEM schools are not included as their salaries are not reported in an accessible file. The typology averages are weighted by the number of students in each district.
Trends in Teacher Salaries Adjusted for inflation, average teacher salaries have ranged from approximately $70,000 to $80,000 per year since 2009.
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public. Note: The FY09 to FY23 salary data were adjusted to 2024 price levels using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
Trends in Superintendent and Principal Salaries Adjusted for inflation, average superintendent salaries have ranged from $130,000 to $145,000 per year since 2009, while principal salaries have ranged from $100,000 to $120,000 per year.
Source: DataOhio, Education Employee Positions and Demographics—Public. Note: The FY09 to FY23 salary data were adjusted to 2024 price levels using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
School
Funding
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How Ohio Funds Public Schools Ohio public schools receive just over $30 billion per year. In FY24, state funds provided, on average, 38 percent of total revenues for public schools, while local taxes contributed 41 percent. Federal and non-tax sources provided the rest of the funding.
Source: Ohio DEW downloadable file titled “Expenditure Rankings” (2023-24). Note: Data include all public schools, including traditional district, joint-vocational, and charter and STEM schools. Other non-tax revenue includes sales of assets, fees, and investment income.
Education in the State Budget Just over 40 percent of Ohio’s total state budget is spent on K-12 education.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission, District Historical Revenues and Expenditures, Table 2. Note: This chart shows K–12 education spending as a percentage of the state’s general revenue fund, lottery profits education fund, and local government fund. It excludes federal dollars that are included in the overall state budget (including federal funds for K–12 education).
How Funds Are Spent Nearly 60 percent of education funding is spent on classroom instruction. The remainder supports administration, building operations, and other support activities.
Source: Ohio DEW, downloadable file titled “Expanded List” (2023-24). Note: The chart shows the fraction of total operational expenditures per pupil by various spending categories reported by DEW, as well as the per-pupil amount spent in each category. The expenditure data shown in this chart do not include capital outlay (e.g., construction or interest on debt); see Capital Outlay and Debt Service for those expenditures.
How Funds Are Spent: Salaries and Benefits 61 percent of public schools’ instructional expenditures are spent on salaries and 23 percent on benefits. Educator salaries have become a slightly smaller share of instructional spending since 2005, while benefits have remained largely consistent.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (USED), Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: FY22, Table 6, and historical data are from USED, Digest of Education Statistics. Note: Benefits include spending on retirement, healthcare, worker’s compensation, and tuition reimbursement. Instructional spending on salaries and benefits do not total 100% due to other expenses such as materials and curriculum development.
Expenditure Per Pupil On average, Ohio school districts spent more than $16,000 per pupil in operational expenditures in FY24. Urban districts had the highest per pupil expenditures, while small town districts spent the least.
Source: Calculations based on data from Ohio DEW’s dowloadable file titled “District and Building Expanded List” (2023-24). Note: The average per-pupil expenditures for each typology are weighted by district and charter/STEM school enrollments. The expenditure data include the spending of dollars from various revenue sources—e.g., state, local, and federal funds—and exclude capital outlay (e.g., construction or interest on debt).
Expenditure Per Pupil Compared to Nearby States Ohio’s spending tracks with the national average, and is more than nearby states such as Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin but is less than Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: FY22, Table 5. Note: To allow for comparisons with other states, this chart relies on federally-reported operational expenditures per pupil (excluding capital expenses such as construction and interest on debt). Due to differences in source, the spending data here do not match precisely with state-reported data presented elsewhere.
Public School Expenditures Over Time Adjusted for inflation, expenditures per pupil have steadily increased in Ohio over the past decade.
Source: Ohio DEW, downloadable file titled “Expanded List.” Note: Statewide expenditures per pupil for FY13 to FY23 are inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars, using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. These data exclude capital outlay and debt service.
Capital Outlay and Debt Service Over the past two decades, Ohio public schools have spent approximately $2.0 to $3.5 billion per year on capital outlay—expenditures on construction, land, and equipment—and roughly $500 million per year on interest on debt.
Note: U.S. Department of Education (USED), Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: FY22, Table 7; historical data are from USED, Digest of Education Statistics. Note: Capital expenditures for FY06 to FY21 are inflation-adjusted to 2022 dollars, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.