MAP: See the Ohio Counties with the Highest Rates of Private School Enrollment

In 2011, Ohio lawmakers doubled the number of school vouchers that students attending or assigned to low-performing schools can use to cover part of the cost of private-school tuition. The number of available vouchers will double again in 2012.

And lawmakers also tried to expand the voucher program to allow students at any public school to get a private-school voucher, as long as their family income was below a certain level. That effort, House Bill 136, stalled in the face of opposition from school districts, but its sponsor says he’ll try again.

With this focus on using more public money for private-school tuition, we looked at where exactly Ohio’s private schools are located and how many students attend private schools in each county. Unsurprisingly, private-school attendance is highest in urban areas, which also tend to have the highest numbers of private schools. But about a dozen counties, mostly in rural areas, don’t have any private schools registered with the Ohio Department of Education.

Percent of Children Enrolled in Private Schools By County

Source: Ohio Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau | Download Data

Download Directory of Ohio Private Schools | Source: Ohio Education Directory System | Note: Directory information is reported to the Ohio Department of Education by schools.