For Service Providers: Educational Roles and Responsibilities in Residential Facilities

Residential treatment facilities are key partners in providing educational continuity for students who need a higher level of care. Facilities can best support students by coordinating and collaborating with districts before the student’s admission, throughout the stay, and at discharge.

Facilities are responsible for coordinating the education of each child by meeting the minimum operating standards defined in Ohio law. During this time period, the school district where the child’s parent resides continues to report the student in its enrollment as described in Ohio law.

Facility Educational Responsibility

 
Ohio law describes the residential treatment facility’s role in coordinating education for its students. The facility may utilize the following educational options to meet the minimum operating standards:

  1. A chartered nonpublic school that the facility operates (if applicable).
  2. An arrangement with the school district (who will see a reduction in foundational payment as a result of the students being placed into residential treatment in consultation with OhioRISE) for the facility to educate the child.
  3. Contract with an educational service center for the service center to educate the student.
  4. Contract with the school district in which the facility is located for that school district to educate the child.

If the student is enrolled in an internet- or computer-based community school and the facility possesses the necessary hardware, software, and internet connectivity, the facility may permit continued instruction of the student by the internet- or computer-based community school.
 
Residential facilities can review the district’s responsibilities identified on the Department’s webpage for districts with students in residential facilities.

Counting Students for Reimbursement 

To ensure that students participating in OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence) receive uninterrupted access to both education and treatment, and in accordance with Ohio law, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will facilitate the payment of educational costs to the residential treatment facility where a student is placed.

The Department will do this by reducing the resident district’s foundation payment (based on Ohio's state funding formula) and directing the funding to the facility. The per diem rate will include a student’s base educational cost ($45.79) plus the highest special education category rate that Ohio funds for schools and districts ($181.10), for a total of $226.89 per day. DEW will certify each payment for each individual student. 

OhioRISE Processes

Some students in residential facilities have been placed through a program called OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence). To ensure that students participating in OhioRISE receive uninterrupted access to both education and treatment, and in accordance with Ohio law, the Department will facilitate the payment of educational costs to the residential treatment facility where a student is placed by reducing the resident district’s foundation payment (based on Ohio's state funding formula) and directing the funding to the facility. The per diem rate will include a student’s base educational cost ($45.79) plus the highest special education category rate that Ohio funds for schools and districts ($181.10), for a total of $226.89 per day. The Department will certify each payment for each individual student.
 
Providers will need to establish or maintain an Information Retrieval Number (IRN), as described below, and home districts and the Department will confirm educational arrangements to prevent service gaps. The responsible school district will continue to report the student in its enrollment per Ohio law.  

Establishing and Maintaining Information Retrieval Number (IRN) Classification

The OhioRISE reimbursement process requires the facility to have an Information Retrieval Number (IRN), which helps with organization classification. Residential treatment facilities can obtain an IRN by following the steps below.
  1. Identify an Ohio Educational Directory System (OEDS) Administrator.
    1. The facility must first identify a designated OEDS Administrator. If the facility does not have an identified OEDS Administrator, or has had one in the past that is no longer affiliated, contact ResidentialEducation@education.ohio.gov.
      1. This individual must have an OH|ID account linked to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
  2. Request a New Organization IRN in OEDS.
    1. The OEDS Administrator can request a new IRN by visiting the OEDS webpage. They will need to navigate to the section on creating new organizations or submitting IRN requests.
    2. Alternatively, for organizations without IRN, contact ResidentialEducation@education.ohio.gov to establish an IRN and an OEDS Administrator.
  3. Contact the OEDS Data Custodian (if necessary).
    1. Most requests for IRNs are handled by the local OEDS organizational administrator.
    2. If your request cannot be handled locally, you may need to contact the specific data custodian for your organization type, as outlined on the OEDS website.
  4. Submit the request.
    1. The OEDS Administrator will follow the instructions on the OEDS website or use the guidance manual to submit the request for a new IRN.
  5. Establish a classification by submitting a plan of compliance to ResidentialEducation@education.ohio.gov and include the documentation below.
    1. Evidence that education is being provided through one of the following:
      1. The chartered nonpublic school that the facility operates;
      2. Arrangement with the resident school district to educate the child;
      3. Contract with an educational service center for the service center to educate the student; or
      4. Contract with the school district in which the facility is located for that school district to educate the child.
    2. Staff credentials.
    3. Documented fire and environmental health inspections completed in the last 12 months with date.
    4. Teacher and staff handbook.
    5. Student handbook.
    6. School calendar.
    7. Evidence of licensure by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, or the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
    8. Onsite audit (while students are present).
  6. Maintaining an established classification for residential treatment education providers:

Last Modified: 4/23/2026 8:42:44 AM