For Schools and Districts: Education in Residential Treatment Facilities

Schools and districts have a vested interest in keeping students in residential treatment on track with their educational goals. Ideally, students in need of treatment will return to the district in a better position to learn for the workforce and beyond. The information below can assist all partners in the process and procedures that ensure educational stability for students in residential treatment.  

Enrollment

Several factors can be considered when determining appropriate enrollment for a student placed into a residential treatment facility. A child who does not reside in the district where the child's parent resides shall be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child lives if any of the following applies: 

  1. The child is in the legal or permanent custody of a government agency or a person other than the child's natural or adoptive parent. 

  1. The child resides in a home. 

  1. The child requires special education. 

A child who does not reside in the district where the child's parent resides is not required to be admitted to the schools of the district in which the child resides if both of the following apply: 

  1. The child resides in a residential treatment facility similarly licensed in another state, and the child was placed in the residential treatment facility by the child's parent in consultation with, and upon the recommendation of, the Ohio Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence program (OhioRISE) for children and youth involved in multiple state systems. 

  2. The residential treatment facility provides education services that meet the minimum education standards under division (D)(2) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code or, in the case of a facility located in another state, meets substantially similar requirements of the jurisdiction where the facility is located, except that the residential treatment facility may provide the child with less than the minimum number of instructional hours required only as necessary to accommodate the child's treatment program. 

​Assessment and Recommendation for Services and Interventions for Students in Foster Care

In Ohio, approximately ten percent of youth engaged in OhioRISE are in foster care. Ohio law requires schools and districts in which a foster child is enrolled after placement in a residential facility to assess the child’s needs for appropriate services and interventions. After assessing the child’s needs, the school district will make recommendations to the agency with custody of the child and the residential facility to best support the child. 

Tuition Reimbursement

If the child is not in the permanent or legal custody of a government agency or person other than the child's parent and the child resides in a residential treatment facility, tuition shall be paid by one of the following: 

  1. The school district in which the child's parent resides; 

  1. The residential treatment facility in which the child resides (if the child's parent is not a resident of this state). 

OhioRISE 

If a child resides in a residential treatment facility, and the child was placed in the facility by the child's parent in consultation with, and upon the recommendation of, OhioRISE, for children and youth involved in multiple state systems, and is receiving education that meets the minimum education standards under division (D)(2) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code, or, in the case of a facility located in another state, substantially similar requirements of the jurisdiction where the facility is located—except that the residential treatment facility may provide the child with less than the minimum number of instructional hours required only as necessary to accommodate the child's treatment program.

Ohio law now requires that the cost of education for an OhioRISE-placed student be calculated using the Department's calculation tool to determine the per diem rate that will be paid by the district responsible to the facility providing educational services to the child. The residential education provider will need to set up an OhioPays account. The district responsible to pay tuition shall continue to report the child in its enrollment for purposes of section 3317.03 of the Revised Code. 

For students placed into residential treatment in consultation with OhioRISE, if the parent's residence changes to a different school district while the child resides in a residential treatment facility, the Department may redetermine the school district responsible for tuition based on evidence provided by the district currently responsible for tuition. 

Credit Acceptance

Upon a child’s discharge from the residential treatment facility, Ohio law requires the facility to immediately notify both the district where the child's parent resides and the Department via email at ResidentialEducation@education.ohio.gov. The notification shall include a certified transcript of all coursework completed by the child while residing in the residential treatment facility. The district where the child's parent resides shall accept all coursework completed by the child while in the residential treatment facility and shall award credit for that coursework in accordance with district policy. 

Following discharge from the residential treatment facility and return to the parent's residence, high school students shall meet requirements under section 3313.618 of the Revised Code in order to qualify for a high school diploma that are no more stringent than those that apply to students who enroll into an Ohio public or chartered nonpublic high school after receiving a home education under section 3321.042 of the Revised Code. 

Scholarship Recipients

If the child is provided educational services by a chartered nonpublic school while residing in a residential treatment facility and the child has been awarded a scholarship under a state scholarship program as defined in section 3301.0711 of the Revised Code, no school district shall be responsible for paying tuition under division (C)(5) of this section. 

Preparing for Student Transitions

Clear procedures for records requests and transfers help ensure continuity for students in residential treatment facilities. Districts and schools can promptly request and share academic and IEP records, even when the student’s enrollment remains within the same district. When students return from care, reviewing prior coursework to identify earned credits and involving the student and family supports engagement and success. 

Transition protocols, like contracts or Memorandums of Understanding, outline how records transfer between settings promote stability, and prompt communication ensures students continue receiving required instruction without interruption. As a best practice, facilities can immediately notify a student’s previous school of any placement change and confirm timely record transfers upon discharge. Ohio law requires schools to send records within five days, with exceptions. Access the Navigation Essentials toolkit website for additional tips and best practices. 

Facilities should request records for students who attended a public school or community school directly from that institution. For records pertaining to students who attended a private school, facilities should contact the Office of Nonpublic Educational Options at 614-728-2678 or Chartered.nonpublic.schools@education.ohio.gov.  

Last Modified: 12/9/2025 8:05:21 AM