Understanding Partnership Roles
Partnerships between education providers while students receive care is important to ensure educational success. Treatment facility providers facilitate the ongoing provision of an appropriate educational program as mandated by federal and state education laws. Local education agencies assist with students in care by maintaining communication about appropriate assessments and other relevant supports.
Ohio law requires that residential treatment facilities provide “education services that meet the minimum standards applicable to city, local, or exempted village school districts, community schools, and chartered nonpublic schools.”
Traditional Public School Districts
Facility responsibilities
- Create a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or contract between the facility and the district detailing education services, transportation, data reporting, records, and billing requirements,
- Establish communication protocols between the facility and school each child will be attending,
- Establish communication protocols between the facility and each student’s district of residence (if the student's district of residence is different from the district providing the education to the child), and
- Implement parent/caregiver engagement regarding education.
District responsibilities
- Enroll the student if applicable (as outlined in Ohio law),
- Notify the district of residence that they are educating the student (as the district of service),
- Assess the child's needs for appropriate services and interventions and make recommendations to the agency with custody of the child and the residential facility as required by Ohio law,
- Fulfill the requirements outlined in Ohio’s law regarding the education of children with disabilities, and
- Report the student in the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
- The district’s Average Daily Membership (ADM) includes these students, and the state will fund accordingly.
- Ohio law also allows districts to either file an application in the Per Diem Module for these students or receive tuition through the Ohio District Data Exchange (ODDEX).
- If a district files an application in the Per Diem Module, access the tuition program in ODDEX and select the flag “Not Claiming Tuition” for all these students to prevent receiving both tuition and per diem (SF-14PD) payments and do not file for excess costs.
Local Educational Service Centers (ESCs)
Facility responsibilities
- Create a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or contract between the facility and the district which details the education services, transportation, data reporting, records, and billing requirements,
- Establish communication protocols between the facility and school each child will be attending,
- Establish communication protocols between the facility and each student’s district of residence (if the student’s district of residence is different from the district of service), and
- Implement parent/caregiver engagement regarding education.
District responsibilities
- Enroll the student if applicable (as outlined in Ohio law),
- Notify the district of residence that they are educating the student (as the district of service),
- Assess the child's needs for appropriate services and interventions and make recommendations to the agency with custody of the child and the residential facility as required by Ohio law,
- Fulfill the requirements outlined in Ohio’s law regarding the education of children with disabilities, and
- Report the student in the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
- The district’s Average Daily Membership (ADM) includes these students, and the state will fund accordingly.
- Ohio law also allows districts to either file an application in the Per Diem Module for these students or receive tuition through the Ohio District Data Exchange (ODDEX).
- If a district files an application in the Per Diem Module, access the tuition program in ODDEX and select the flag “Not Claiming Tuition” for all these students to prevent receiving both tuition and per diem (SF-14PD) payments and do not file for excess costs.
Public Charter or Community Schools
Facility responsibilities
- Establish communication protocols (if the student’s district of residence is different from the district providing education to the children in the facility),
- Report the name of the student’s school district of residence as required in Ohio law,
- Offer transportation services to K-8 student(s) (and high school students, if the district provides transportation for its high school students),
- Districts should follow local transportation policies where applicable. Please keep in mind that some vulnerable populations have additional eligibility parameters—consult with designated liaisons as appropriate.
- Follow all state and federal laws and regulations related to education and to the operation of a public charter or community school, and
- Meet all requirements as outlined in Ohio law regarding community schools (if the education programming, including special education services, is provided by a community school).
Chartered Nonpublic Schools Established by the Residential Treatment Center
Facility responsibilities
Last Modified: 11/3/2025 12:05:20 PM