State Board of Education secures $8.4 million grant to enhance the educator workforce statewide

9/22/2026

Funding awarded to support educator workforce

The State Board of Education of Ohio recently secured an $8.4 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher and School Leader grant program for 2026. As part of a three-year initiative, ELEVATE Ohio, the State Board aims to enhance the educator workforce statewide. This effort will focus on key areas, including Educator Leadership, Evaluation, Vision, Advancement, Talent, and Excellence.

The grant funds will support the creation of comprehensive, research-driven resources, evidence-based tools, and systems designed to help K-12 districts and community schools address challenges related to recruitment, retention, and effectiveness of licensed educators. In the first year of this initiative, a subset of Ohio school districts and community schools will collaborate with the State Board to pilot ELEVATE Ohio, positively impacting 70,000 students statewide during the inaugural year of grant implementation.

Additionally, this grant will make the resources available to all Ohio schools.

Learn more about the State Board at sboe.ohio.gov.