Ohio awards $14.3 million for charter school facility upgrades and expansion

Nine public charter schools will receive federal facilities grants as part of a broader $20.7 million Ohio investment aimed at expanding high-performing schools and adding student capacity.
Sept. 15, 2026
4 min read
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Key Highlights

  • Nine Ohio charter schools will receive federal funding for facility improvements, expansion, and capital projects to increase student capacity and enhance educational environments.
  • The grants support a variety of projects including new construction, renovations, land purchases, and leasehold improvements, aimed at reducing costs and expanding access.
  • The funding is part of a five-year initiative totaling nearly $100 million, prioritizing underserved regions, innovative models, and high school programs to broaden educational options.
  • These investments aim to support workforce development, technical education, and address facility needs that limit school expansion despite high demand.
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Ohio is awarding approximately $14.3 million to nine public charter schools for facility improvements, expansion, and other capital needs as part of a new round of federal education grants.

The facilities awards are part of a broader $20.7 million package announced by Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) which also earmarks $6.4 million to support four schools that are expanding existing programs or opening new campuses. In Ohio, charter schools are referred to as community schools.

DEW’s application to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2025 Charter Schools Program Grant prioritized serving students in regions with limited access to quality school options, including those in rural communities, areas with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, schools offering innovative models, and those serving grades 9-12.  

Governor DeWine said in a press release:

“Ensuring all students have access to high-quality learning environments is an essential part of Ohio’s commitment to helping students live up to their God-given potential. These investments build upon that commitment by giving more families the opportunity to select the educational option that best meet the needs of their child.”

Nine schools receive facilities funding

The Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant awards will support capital needs at schools in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Westerville. The recipients are Educational Academy for Boys & Girls, Explorers Academy of Science and Technology, four Horizon Science Academy campuses, Menlo Park Academy, Patriot Preparatory Academy, and Unity Academy.

While the state didn’t specify individual award amounts or identify the particular facility projects each school intends to undertake, eligible uses of the facilities grants include purchasing buildings or land, new construction, renovating existing facilities, leasehold improvements, rent, and mortgage debt service. Ohio says the program is intended to increase available seats at high-performing schools, support career and technical education, and provide additional facility support where it is needed.

The current awards represent the first year of the federally funded facilities program, and additional awards are planned in future competitive rounds according to the state.

One school plans 200 additional seats

The separate Charter Schools Program grants provide a clearer picture of how some of the funding could translate into additional school capacity. For example, Explorers Academy of Science and Technology in Toledo will expand to serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade and plans to create 200 additional seats over two years. The school also is one of the nine recipients of facilities funding, positioning it to receive support for both its academic expansion and its physical space needs.

Why it matters

For schools seeking to expand enrollment, academic programs alone do not create additional capacity. Classrooms, laboratories, career and technical education spaces, and other facilities have to grow with them.

Ohio’s latest awards link those two needs through separate but complementary grant programs. The clearest example is Explorers Academy, where plans to add 200 seats are being supported alongside a facilities grant. For other recipients, the capital funding can be used for projects ranging from renovation and leasehold improvements to building acquisition and new construction.

The program also gives school leaders another source of capital at a time when facility costs can limit expansion even when student demand exists. Future funding rounds will determine how widely that investment translates into new seats, renovated buildings, and additional workforce-training space across the state.

Over in Akron, Towpath Trail High School, a dropout prevention and recovery school, plans to use its program grant to establish a satellite campus in Youngstown centered on workforce pathways in construction, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and business.

Additionally, the grants will support the construction of two news schools: North Bend STEM Academy plans to open a K-5 school in Cincinnati with an eventual expansion to K-8, while Forward Girls Leadership Academy will establish a high school in Twinsburg focused on public leadership for girls.

Grants are part of a five-year funding initiative

Ohio opened applications for the two grant programs earlier this year as part of a five-year federal initiative approaching $100 million. The state says the funding is intended to expand access to higher-performing charter schools, particularly in communities where families have fewer educational options.

The facilities portion is intended not only to provide additional space, but also to reduce the cost burden that buildings can impose on charter schools and support facilities needed for workforce-readiness programs.

Federal facilities funding supplements Ohio’s existing support for charter school facilities. Under the federal program, the maximum federal share declines over the five-year grant period, requiring the state’s contribution to account for an increasing portion of the facilities funding over time.

This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.
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