career-tech
Career-Tech Enrollment Soars While Traditional Districts Shrink
Ohio's 49 Joint Vocational School Districts added 20,389 students in five years while traditional districts shed 78,000. The boom is straining capacity.
Ohio
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Ohio, grounded in Ohio Department of Education data.
Nearly Half of Ohio's Black Students Are Chronically Absent — and the Gap Is Widening Again
42.9% of Ohio's Black students are chronically absent, more than double the white rate. The 23.8-point gap grew slightly in 2025 after two years of narrowing.
Ohio Now 73,805 Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Five years after COVID, Ohio's enrollment hasn't recovered. It's gotten worse. Two in three districts sit below their pandemic floor as losses accelerate.
Licking Heights: From 30 Asian Students to 1,471 in a Decade
A Columbus-area district grew 36.6% while Ohio shrank, fueled by Nepali, Somali, and other immigrant families drawn to affordable housing and jobs.
11 Ohio Districts Have Lost Students Every Year Since 2015
Eleven districts have declined every single year for 11 straight years, losing 30.7% of their combined enrollment. Most are clustered in northeast Ohio.
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demographics
Ohio Lost 203,000 White Students. Every Other Group Grew.
White enrollment in Ohio public schools fell 15.4% since 2015, accounting for more than 100% of the state's total decline. Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and Black enrollment all increased.
enrollment
Ohio Lost 19,611 Students in 2025, the Biggest Non-COVID Drop
Ohio enrollment fell by 19,611 students in 2025-26, the largest non-COVID decline on record, and 391 districts now sit at all-time lows.
school-choice
Ohio's community schools grew 16% since COVID. Traditional districts never recovered.
43% of Ohio's community schools now enroll more students than before COVID. Only 16% of traditional districts can say the same.
grade-shift
Ohio's Kindergarten Class Hits a Record Low
Ohio's 2025-26 kindergarten class of 112,390 is the smallest in 12 years, 1,865 below the COVID floor.
district-spotlight
Cleveland's Collapse: 29 Schools Closing as Enrollment Hits Bottom
Cleveland Municipal fell to 32,369 students, down 16.7% since 2015. The district is closing 29 schools to address a $150 million deficit.
demographics
Hispanic Enrollment Doubled in Ohio. Then It Stopped.
Hispanic enrollment in Ohio grew 68% in 11 years, reshaping districts from Columbus suburbs to Lake Erie nursery towns. Then 2026 hit a wall.
enrollment
Ohio Hits All-Time Enrollment Low as Losses Accelerate
Ohio public school enrollment fell to 1,718,829, its lowest in at least 12 years. The 19,611-student drop is the second-largest on record.
enrollment
Ohio Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
ODEW releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 1,718,829 students statewide — down 19,611, the second-largest annual loss on record.