Tools for Schools
School Choice Ohio: We’re Here to Help
School Choice Ohio is happy to serve as your
pro bono marketing consultant!
Tools for Schools Marketing Kit
Flyer Templates
(English & Spanish)
Email Template
Online Tools
GreatSchools.org How-to
Press Release Templates
Postcard Template
Records Request Template
Jason Warner
614-223-1555
jwarner@scohio.org
Marketing Tips
Create Buzz with Simple Flyers
Create a custom flyer with your school’s information and get to work!
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Send flyers home with your students and ask them to share with friends and family.
Ask your student volunteers, board or PTO members to help hang your flyers in your community.
Go door-to-door in your community with flyers and talk with families about your school.
Managing your Online Presence
A great way to get the word out about your school is literally right at your fingertips! Get to typing!
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Post info about the scholarships your school accepts on your website and social media pages.
Encourage your current students’ families to share information about the school and scholarships
on their social media pages. They can help expand your reach!
Update your GreatSchools.org Profile
GreatSchools.org is a free tool available to help families find the school that is the best fit for their child.
Your school’s profile is already live on the site. Update it to showcase all you offer.
Alert the Press
Send a press release to your local media outlets to share information about your school or upcoming
events. Use this to inform media outlets that you are accepting scholarship recipients.
Direct Connect
Don’t count out traditional mail as a great way to get information in the hands of potential students.
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Submit a public records request for directory information for students at local public schools.
If that doesn’t work, consider buying a list of contact information for local families.
Send those families information about your school.
Friendly Faces and Spaces
Create custom signage that you can place around the community and in your school’s yard.
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Have a banner printed to hang in front of the building advertising the scholarship availability.
Use your school’s marquis to advertise that “Scholarships are available.”
Print yard signs and ask your PTO members and parents to help place them in the community.
Be a Friendly Neighbor
It is important to capture your community’s attention, and we’ve got some ideas to help you do that.
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Host a free open house with fun children activities to draw in local families.
Attend community events and make sure your display stands out.
School
Wanting a different
Logo Here
school for your child?
EdChoice Scholarship Program
Kids in low-rated
public schools eligible
for K-12 scholarship
$4,250-$5,000/year
can be used for tuition at
[Name of School]
Don’t let this opportunity
pass your child by!
Enroll by [Date]!
Notoday
income
guidelines
Contact [Name of School]
to learn
more!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
Wanting a different
school for your child?
School
Logo Here
Income-Based Scholarship Program
Attend [Name of School]!
New K-12 scholarship
program for students from
working class families
Students eligible for $4,250/yr if:
- Starting kindergarten or 1st grade
- Family income at or below
200% of federal poverty guidelines
(example: $47,000 for family of 4)
Don’t let this opportunity
pass your child by!
Enroll by [Date]!
Contact [Name of School] today to learn more!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
Email Template
This is an email template that you can customize and send to local families to let them know that you are
accepting scholarship students. You can also give this template to your current parents and ask them to email
10 of their friends.
Dear [insert name],
Did you know the following public schools in our area have been designated by the Ohio Department of
Education as some of the state’s lowest-rated public schools?
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
[name
[name
[name
[name
of
of
of
of
eligible
eligible
eligible
eligible
school
school
school
school
nearby]
nearby]
nearby]
nearby]
Because of that, students who are attending, entering or assigned to one of these schools are eligible to apply
for an EdChoice Scholarship worth up to $[4,250/5,000] that can be used for tuition at [Name of School].
There are absolutely no income guidelines to apply.
There are many more schools across Ohio whose students are eligible to apply for this scholarship. For a
complete list of eligible schools, visit www.education.ohio.gov.
In addition, incoming kindergarten and first grade students are eligible for an Income-Based Scholarship to
attend our school at no cost, if their family’s income is at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines. For
example, a student whose family of four has an income less than $47,100 would be eligible to apply.
[Paragraph about what makes your school great/unique.]
If you are applying for one of the scholarships, be sure to enroll your child in [Name of School] by [Date]. [If
transportation is available, say so here.]
There are nearly 40,000 EdChoice Scholarships available and more than 3,000 Income-Based Scholarships
available. You can renew the scholarships through high school graduation.
Be sure to spread the word about these scholarship programs to your friends, family, neighbors and
coworkers.
Questions? Call [Name of School] today at [Phone Number].
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Facebook Posts
These are Facebook posts that you can copy and paste as a status. Just remember to customize the information
in the brackets!
Did you know our school accepts the EdChoice Scholarship? If your child attends one of Ohio’s lowest-rated
public schools, he or she could be eligible for a scholarship worth up to $5,000 to use toward tuition at our
school! Contact us to learn more!
Is your child currently attending [name of eligible school nearby]? What about [name of eligible school
nearby]? Children attending those schools can receive a scholarship worth $[4,250/5,000] to attend [Name of
Your School]! Give us a call today to learn more at [Phone Number].
Is your child entering kindergarten or first grade this year? Depending on your family income, your child may
be eligible for a scholarship to attend our school at no cost! Call us today at [Phone Number] to check your
eligibility.
Tweets
Is your school on Twitter? If so, below are some tweets you can copy, paste and customize for easy sharing.
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We happily accept EdChoice Scholarships! All children deserve a quality education. Learn more by
contacting us today.
Your child could be eligible for a scholarship from the state to attend [Name of School]! Visit our
website to learn more.
Does your child attend a low-rated public school? If so, he or she could receive up to $[4,250/5,000] in
free tuition at [Name of School].
Text for Website
Below are some text options that you can copy and paste onto your school’s website. Choose the one you like
best, and display it prominently on your school’s homepage. This will help inform parents who are checking out
your website about the scholarships.
Our school is proud to participate in the EdChoice Scholarship Program. Students who attend the state’s lowest
rated schools are eligible to apply for a scholarship worth up to $[4,250/5,000] to use toward tuition at our
school! Click here to learn more about the EdChoice Scholarship. Questions? Call us today at [Phone Number]
to learn more.
We are happy to accept EdChoice Scholarship students. Is your child EdChoice eligible? Give us a call today at
[Phone Number] to get the ball rolling on your child’s application process.
Is your child entering kindergarten or first grade this year? Depending on your family income, your child may
be eligible for a scholarship to attend our school at no cost! Call us today at [Phone Number] to check your
eligibility.
GREATSCHOOLS.ORG
OFFICIAL SCHOOL PROFILE
The easy way to boost enrollment and manage your school’s online reputation
GreatSchools.org is a free tool available across the country to help families find the school that is the
best fit for their child. It was accessed by 1.5 million Ohioans last year and available on home buying
sites through partnerships with realtor groups across the state.
Your school’s profile is already live. Now you can showcase all you offer to parents!
Completing your profile will allow parents to find you via the new GreatSchools advanced search tool
which will soon be accessible at www.greatschools.org/ohio.
Parents are looking for information beyond just facts and figures. You can share:
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Course offerings (e.g. languages, arts, STEM, career, AP courses)
Teaching method (e.g. Montessori, blended learning, project-based, traditional)
Target student population (e.g. special needs, all girls, dropout recovery, gifted)
Extracurriculars (e.g. sports, clubs)
How to update and improve your school’s profile on GreatSchools.org/OSP
Step 1: Register as the point person for the school
Step 2: Fill out your school profile (you can save and come back later at any point)
 Fill out the information and click the boxes
 Upload a picture
 Link to your school’s website and Facebook page
 Give a one-sentence answer to “What my school is known for”
Step 3: Updated information should appear on your school’s profile within 2-3 days
Every school is different, what stands out about yours?
This is your chance to give prospective parents and students a close-up look at your school,
be it your award-winning arts program, passionate PTO, state-of-the-art gymnasium,
or language immersion programs. Schools in all sectors are encouraged
to participate so parents have information about their full range of options.
[Place on Official School Letterhead]
Media Contact: Name
Phone: Phone Number
Email: Email Address
[Name of School] now accepting students eligible for Ohio’s
EdChoice Scholarship Program
[CITY], Ohio ([Date],[ Year]) – [Name of School] is now accepting students who are eligible for an EdChoice
Scholarship for the 2014-2015 school year. Parents can work with [Name of School] to complete the
application process, and the school will submit the application to the Ohio Department of Education on behalf
of the family.
[“Insert quote from school leader,” said [Name of School] [Title] [Name]. “This would be the follow-up
portion of the quote.”]
The deadline to apply for the EdChoice Scholarship Program is [Date]. Because the application process can be
lengthy, parents of eligible children should contact the school as soon as possible.
There are 60,000 EdChoice scholarships available for eligible Ohio students. EdChoice scholarships are worth
up to $4,250 per year at the elementary and middle school levels and up to $5,000 per year for high school
students. Once a student receives a scholarship, he or she can continue to renew the scholarship through high
school graduation.
[Insert an informational paragraph about your private school here.]
For more information, or to find out if your student is eligible, contact [Name of School] at [phone number].
###
[Place on Official School Letterhead]
Media Contact: Name
Phone: Phone Number
Email: Email Address
[Name of School] now accepting students eligible for Ohio’s
Income-Based Scholarship Program
[CITY], Ohio ([Date], [Year]) – [Name of School] is now accepting students who are eligible for an IncomeBased Scholarship for the 2014-2015 school year. Parents can work with [Name of School] to complete the
application process, and the school will submit the application to the Ohio Department of Education on behalf
of the family.
[“Insert quote from school leader,” said [Name of School] [Title] [Name]. “This would be the follow-up
portion of the quote.”]
The deadline to apply for the Income-Based Scholarship Program is [Date]. Because the application process can
be lengthy, parents should begin contacting schools as soon as possible.
The Income-Based Scholarship Program provides scholarships to eligible students who are entering
kindergarten or first grade in the 2014-15 school year. Any kindergarten or first-grade student whose family’s
income is at or below 200 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines is eligible to apply. For example, a family of
four making less than $47,100 would be eligible.
There are more than 4,000 scholarships available. Scholarships are worth $4,250. Families must use the
scholarship to pay tuition at the participating private school of their choice.
[Insert an informational paragraph about your private school here.]
For more information, or to find out if your student is eligible, contact [Name of School] at [phone number].
###
Do you have students with special needs
who need extra services?
Your students with special needs can participate in the
Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program!
Even if your school is not a provider for the
scholarship, your students can continue to pay
tuition and use the scholarship for outside
services like therapy and tutoring!
Your school does not have to do anything,
other than let families know!
Here’s how a student can sign up for the scholarship
for outside services:
Step 1)
Obtain an Individual Education Program (IEP)
from resident school district
Step 2)
Choose approved therapist(s) and/or tutor(s)
from ODE’s website.
Step 3)
Apply for the scholarship before April 15th
through the lead service provider.
ff
To obtain an IEP from the resident school district, the parent should contact the
resident school district and ask for an IEP to be created.
By law, the district has 60 days to create the IEP.
Have questions? We’re here to help!
1-800-673-5876
scohio.org | info@scohio.org
Your child could be eligible for a scholarship to attend
[Insert Name of School]!
Does your child attend one
of these schools?

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

[Eligible
[Eligible
[Eligible
[Eligible
public
public
public
public
school
school
school
school
in
in
in
in
your
your
your
your
area]
area]
area]
area]
If so, your child is eligible for an
EdChoice Scholarship worth up to
[$4,250/$5,000] that can be used
toward tuition at
[Insert Name of School]!
Contact [Name of School]
today to learn more!
[School Phone]
[School Email]
 Deadline to enroll is [DATE]
 [If transportation is available, say so]
 Nearly 40,000 scholarships available
for the 2014-15 school year
 No income guidelines to apply!
For a complete list of eligible schools,
visit www.education.ohio.gov
How to make a public records request to a school district
Non-profit organizations and other entities are allowed to make public records requests of government entities
if the information received will not be used for a profit-making activity (such as soliciting donations) and are
entitled to a reasonably-timely response.
In the case of a school district, what you’re after is generally termed “directory information” – the names,
addresses, and phone numbers of children attending a specific school building or buildings.
The following text has been used fairly successfully to obtain this information from districts with EdChoiceeligible schools for the last several years. Note that some districts are getting more resistant – and more clever
– and sometimes you have to take no for an answer unless you have unlimited funding for legal efforts. At a
minimum, a request must be responded to in the negative with an explanation as to why they cannot comply
fully with your request.
Basic request letter text
Here is the basic text with some notes to follow.
{Date}
{Superintendent Name}i
{District Name}
{Address}
{City, State Zip}
Dear {Superintendent Name}:
Based upon the Public Records Act as amended as of September 29, 2007ii, the person signing below is
making the following public records request on behalf of {Your School/Organization Name}, a not-for-profit
organization.
According to legal counseliii, the information requested is available as a public record as defined by Ohio
Revised Code § 149.43iv. Further, § 3319.321(B)v states that the information requested qualifies as “directory
information” subject to disclosure. We request that your district provide us with the directory information for
all students in attendance at the following schools in your district:
{List all school names for which you want directory information}vi
Please include at least the directory information listed below for each child. If you have designated any part of
the requested information as not subject to release, please provide the parts which are available. We request
that these be provided in electronic format (compact disc, email, flash drive, etc.) or in the alternative in paper
form or any other fixed medium:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Student Name
Student Phone Number
Student Address
Student’s Grade Level for the {School Year dates} School Year (e.g. grade 5)
Electronic records may be sent via e-mail to {preferred recipient name and email address)vii. Any physical
version of the records (disc, flash drive, hard copy, etc.) can be sent by United State Postal Service to:
{Name and address of snail mail recipient}
Consistent with §3319.321(A)viii, {Your School/Organization Name} represents that this information will not be
used in a profit-making plan or activity nor will any information be disclosed to any other party in violation of
§3319.321(B)(3)ix.
We understand that you are entitled to a reasonable amount of time in which to fulfill the request. If you will
not be able to fulfill this request in approximately 2 weeksx, please contact {preferred recipient name and
contact information}.
If there are any questions or pre-conditions to fulfilling this request which must be addressed, please contact
{preferred recipient name and contact information}.
We look forward to receiving the above requested information.
Sincerely,
{Live signature}
{Name and title of highest-ranking person in your organization}xi
Notes on text:
Go for the top person in the district – they’ll make sure it gets to the right office to respond; send a proper letter, not an email; if you
want extra oomph, send a registered letter with delivery confirmation so you know it arrived.
ii
Info on the 2006/7 Public Records Act (aka HB 9), you can click here.
iii
Then-State Auditor Mary Taylor put out a nice bulletin on this updated legislation when it went into effect in 2007.
iv
This section of the ORC has been recently amended by HB 64 but is still legit for the purposes of this letter.
v
More info here.
vi
Just ask for the school or schools you want/need; don’t overreach.
vii
Electronic is better/faster/easier for you to turn into a mailing list/labels; if you get hundreds of names in hard copy, that’s a lot of
time and effort to make them useful. Some districts will send you hard copy (or electronic versions that are not easily translated to
Excel) just to make it difficult.
viii
See Footnote 5 above, for link
ix
See Footnote 5 above, for link
x
This is, of course, a lot of time, and most districts will respond within days rather than weeks. But you’ve got to put a deadline on it
or they can stretch it out forever. This also gives you a point at which you can send a follow-up letter or phone call to see what’s up.
xi
Even if the highest-ranking person in your organization is not going to deal with the records personally, best to put their name on it
to make it as official as possible.
i