Business Advisory Councils
All Ohio school districts and Educational Service Centers need to have a Business Advisory Council. Ohio is proud to be home to over 110 Business Advisory Councils. These locally focused partnerships convene education and business leaders to engage in dialogue, build trust and identify strategies that transform the student learning experience. The on-going, intentional collaboration can result in a more responsive education system based on regional economic drivers and needs, more relevant learning experiences for students that include work-based learning opportunities and enduring partnerships between schools and local industries.
2026 Business-Education Leader Awards for Excellent Business Advisory Councils
- Barberton City Schools*
- Montgomery County ESC*
- North Point ESC*
- Southwest Regional BAC *
- Building Bridges to Careers
- Columbiana County ESC
- ESC of Eastern Ohio
- ESC of Central Ohio
- Mercer County ESC
- Miami County ESC
- Preble County ESC
**Excellence designation: Excellence in
- Building Partnerships
- Coordinating Career Development Experiences
- Developing Professional Skills for the Future
- Ashtabula County Technical & Career Center
- Athens-Meigs ESC
- Beavercreek City Schools
- Brown County ESC
- Cincinnati Public Schools
- Greater Cincinnati BAC
- Lorain County ESC
- Madison-Champaign County ESC
- Marion Area Workforce Acceleration Collaborative
- Mid-Ohio ESC
- Midwest Regional ESC
- Muskingum Valley ESC
- New Lexington Schools
- Noble County Schools BAC
- ESC of Northeast Ohio
- Paulding County BAC
- Putnam County ESC
- Southern Ohio ESC
- Springfield City Schools
- ESC of the Western Reserve
- Darke County ESC
- Fairfield County ESC
- Greene County ESC
- Greenville City Schools
- Jefferson County ESC
- Knox County ESC
- Mentor Exempted Village Schools
- Stark County ESC
2025 Business-Education Leader Awards for Excellent Business Advisory Councils
Learn more about the awards and see the 2025 winners here.
Business Advisory Council Townhall
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, in collaboration with the 2026 All Ohio Conference, will host the third annual Business Advisory Council Townhall on July 20, 2026 at the Hilton Columbus - Easton.
Registration is FREE and open to Councils throughout the state and business partners. A link to sign up will be forthcoming.
Annual Business Advisory Council Joint Statements
Business Advisory Councils are legislated by Ohio law to file a Joint Statement by March 1. Statements must be publicly available. The Department created a Joint Statement Template to provide guidance on what should be included.
Business Advisory Council Open Office Hours
The Office of Graduate Success will be holding open office hours at the following times to provide support and address any questions regarding Business Advisory Councils. Open to all BAC members for technical assistance. Click the date and time below to join the Microsoft Teams meeting.
Annual Business Advisory Council Plans
Business Advisory Councils are legislated by Ohio Law to submit annual plans to The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. All school districts, Educational Service Centers and Joint Vocational School districts representing school districts as Business Advisory Councils are required to submit plans in the Data Collection app through OHID by Sept. 30, 2025.
Resources for Submitting Annual Business Advisory Council Plan and Award Application
Business Advisory Council Grants
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is seeking applicants for Business Advisory Council Grants.
These grant funds will support opportunities for career exploration for students through Business Advisory Councils. Applicants will be selected based on existing programming or new programming that support the Quality Practices in the standard of operations of high-quality councils.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has prepared the following materials for potential grant applicants:
The 2025 Recipients of the Business Advisory Council Grant:
- Auglaize County ESC
- ESC of Northeast Ohio
- Greater Cincinnati BAC
- Knox County BAC
- Lawrence County ESC
- Mercer County ESC
- Midwest Regional ESC
BAC Strategies That Work! Building Successful Business Advisory Councils: Virtual Event
The Office of Graduate Success and the Ohio Tech Prep Regional Centers brought together education, business and industry partners to explore smart strategies and emerging ideas to build successful Business Advisory Councils That Work!
Find a Local Business Advisory Council!
View annual highlight reports for more information on council activities across the state!
Additional Resources
Contact
CareerConnections@education.ohio.gov for more information.
Last Modified: 2/13/2026 7:29:06 AM