Quality Community School Support Fund

The Quality Community School Support grant provides additional funding to community schools that meet criteria established by the General Assembly. Community schools meeting eligibility criteria can receive $1,750 in each fiscal year for each pupil identified as economically disadvantaged and $1,000 in each fiscal year for all enrolled students. Payments for each fiscal year are calculated using the final adjusted full-time equivalent number of students enrolled in the community school for the prior fiscal year. If the school is in its first year of operation the payment is calculated using the adjusted full-time equivalent number of students enrolled in the school for the current fiscal year as of the date the payment is made, as reported by the school pursuant to section 3314.08 of the Ohio Revised Code. The Ohio Department of Education makes grant payments to each community school meeting quality criteria in January.

Note: The Department will utilize the most recent sponsor evaluation rating as permitted by law.
 
Community schools must satisfy at least one of the following criteria to receive funding:

Criteria 1:

The community school meets all the following criteria:

1. The school’s sponsor was rated “Exemplary” or “Effective” on the sponsor’s most recent evaluation conducted under section 3314.016 of the Revised Code.
2. The school received a higher Performance Index score than the school district in which the school is located on the two most recent Ohio School Report Cards issued for the school under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code.
3. The school received an overall rating of four stars or better for the Value-Added progress dimension on the most recent report card issued for the school under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code or is a school described under division (A)(4) of section 3314.35 of the Revised Code and did not receive a grade for the Value-Added progress dimension on the most recent report card.
4. At least 50 percent of the students enrolled in the school are economically disadvantaged, as determined by the Ohio Department of Education.

Criteria 2: 
***Updated January 5, 2023***

The community school meets all the following criteria:

1. The school’s sponsor was rated “Exemplary” or “Effective” on the sponsor’s most recent evaluation conducted under section 3314.016 of the Revised Code.
2. The school is in its first year of operation or the school opened as a kindergarten school and has added one grade per year and has been in operation for fewer than four school years.
3. The school is replicating an operational and instructional model used by a community school described in division (B)(1) of this section.
4. ***If the school has an operator, the operator received a “C” or better on its most recent performance report published under section 3314.031 of the Revised Code.***

• List of community schools which may be replicated under Criteria Two
• List of community schools potentially eligible under Criteria Two

Criteria 3:

The community school meets all the following criteria:

1. The school’s sponsor was rated “Exemplary” or “Effective” on the sponsor’s most recent evaluation conducted under section 3314.016 of the Revised Code.
2. The school contracts with an operator that operates schools in other states and meets at least one of the following criteria:
   1. Has operated a school that received a grant funded through the federal Charter Schools Program established under 20 U.S.C. 7221 or received funding from the Charter School Growth Fund; or
   2. Meets all the following criteria:
      1. One of the operator’s schools in another state performed better than the school district in which the school is located, as determined by the Department. 
      2. At least 50 percent of the total number of students enrolled in all of the operator’s schools are economically disadvantaged, as determined by the Department.
      3. The operator is in good standing in all states where it operates schools.
      4. The Department has determined the operator does not have any financial viability issues that would prevent it from effectively operating a community school in Ohio.

A school that is designated as a Community School of Quality under division (B) shall maintain that designation for the two fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the school was initially designated as a Community School of Quality.

• List of community schools potentially eligible under Criteria Three

Continued Eligibility

A school designated as a Community School of Quality under one of the above criteria shall maintain that designation for the two fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the school was initially designated as a Community School of Quality.

A school designated a Community School of Quality may renew its designation each year that it satisfies the requirements under Criteria One. The school shall maintain that designation for the two fiscal years following each fiscal year in which the requirements under Criteria One of this section are satisfied.

HOUSE BILL 583 PROVISION:

A school that was designated as a Community School of Quality for the first time for the 2019-2020 school year shall maintain that designation for the 2022-2023 school year and may renew its designation under division (D) of Section 265.335 after that school year.

The list of schools eligible per H.B. 583 is available here.
 
A full list of community schools receiving funding in SY 2022-23 will be available no later than January 15, 2023. If you have any questions regarding a specific school, please contact Colleen Grady at Colleen.Grady@education.ohio.gov.