MOUNT GILEAD — Local parents now have more options for their children when it comes to schooling because of a recently expanded state program providing financial vouchers to attend private schools.

The Ohio Department of Education offers parents and students from designated public schools the opportunity to attend a participating private school such as Gilead Christian School, Morrow County’s only accredited private school. Beginning Feb. 1 through April 15, 2020, Ohio’s EdChoice Scholarship Program will be accepting applications, a news release states.

For the 2019-2020 school year, Ohio designated 14 schools in Morrow, Marion, Knox, Crawford and Richland counties. For the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, that list has grown to 48 schools, with several Delaware County schools being added to the list.

To compile their list, the Ohio Department of Education used Ohio School Report Cards from recent years to identify and grade schools’ performances. With a 200 percent increase in the number of underperforming schools, now is the time for parents to careful consideration the education their children are entitled to.

The EdChoice Scholarship Program, commonly referred to as “The Voucher,” may provide free tuition to a participating private school to more families in the area.

For information about the EdChoice Scholarship Program, email [email protected] or call Gilead Christian School at 419-947-5739.

Submitted story