Tools for Schools
School Choice Ohio: We’re Here to Help
School Choice Ohio is happy to serve as your
pro bono marketing consultant!
Tools for Schools Marketing Kit
Handout Templates
(English & Spanish)
Email Template
Online Tools
Press Release Templates
Postcard Template
Records Request Template
Questions? Need more info?
Kaleigh Frazier
614-223-1555
[email protected]
Marketing Tips
Create Buzz with Simple Handouts
Create a custom handout with your school’s information and get to work!
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Send handouts home with your students and ask them to share with friends and family.
Ask your student volunteers, board or PTO members to help post them in your community.
Go door-to-door in your community with copies and talk with families about your school.
Managing your Online Presence
A great way to get the word out about your school is literally right at your fingertips! Get to typing!
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Post info about the scholarships your school accepts on your website and social media pages.
Encourage your current students’ families to share information about the school and scholarships
on their social media pages. They can help expand your reach!
Alert the Press
Send a press release to your local media outlets to share information about your school or upcoming
events. Use this to inform media outlets that you are accepting scholarship recipients.
Direct Connect
Don’t count out traditional mail as a great way to get information in the hands of potential students.
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Submit a public records request for directory information for students at local public schools.
If that doesn’t work, consider buying a list of contact information for local families.
Send those families information about your school.
Friendly Faces and Spaces
Create custom signage that you can place around the community and in your school’s yard.
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Have a banner printed to hang in front of the building advertising the scholarship availability.
Use your school’s marquis to advertise that “Scholarships are available.”
Print yard signs and ask your PTO members and parents to help place them in the community.
Be a Friendly Neighbor
It is important to capture your community’s attention, and we’ve got some ideas to help you do that.
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Host a free open house with fun children activities to draw in local families.
Attend community events, and make sure your display stands out.
Wanting a different
school for your child?
School
Logo Here
EdChoice Scholarship Program
Kids in low-rated
public schools eligible
for K-12 scholarship
$4,250-$5,000/year
can be used for tuition at
[Name of School]
Don’t let this opportunity
pass your child by!
Enroll by [Date]!
No income guidelines
Contact [Name of School] today to learn more!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
¿Desea poder enviar a su hijo/a School
a una escuela distinta?
Logo
Here
Programa Becario EdChoice
Todo estudiante K-12 que
asista a una escuela pública de
bajo rendimiento académico es
elegible para recibir una beca
$4,250-$5,000/anual
para cubrir la matrícula de
[Name of School]
¡No desaproveche esta
oportunidad!
¡Inscríbase antes del [Date]!
No hay pautas de ingresos
¡Comuniquese con [Name of School] hoy para obtener
más informacion!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
Wanting a different
school for your child?
School
Logo Here
Income-Based Scholarship Program
Attend [Name of School]!
New K-12 scholarship
program for students from
working class families
Students eligible for $4,250/yr if:
- Starting kindergarten, 1st grade
or 2nd grade
- Family income at or below
200% of federal poverty guidelines
(example: $48,500 for family of 4)
Don’t let this opportunity
pass your child by!
Enroll by [Date]!
Contact [Name of School] today to learn more!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
¿Desea poder enviar a su
hijo/a a una escuela distinta?
School
Logo
Here
Beca Basada en Ingresos
! Asista a [Name of School]!
Nuevo programa becario K-12
para estudiantes de
familias de clase trabajadora
Estudiantes reciben hasta $4,250
anual si:
- Van a iniciar el Kínder, 1 o 2º grado
- Los ingresos familiares están a 200% o
por debajo de las pautas federales de
pobreza
(ejemplo: $48,500 para una familia de 4)
¡No desaproveche esta
oportunidad!
¡Inscríbase antes del [Date]!
¡Comuníquese con [Name of School] hoy para obtener
mas información!
[School Phone]
[School Website] | [School Email]
Email Template
This is an email template that you can customize and send to local families to let them know that you are
accepting scholarship students. You can also give this template to your current parents and ask them to email
10 of their friends.
Dear [insert name],
Did you know the following public schools in our area have been designated by the Ohio Department
of Education as some of the state’s lowest-rated public schools?
 [name of eligible school nearby]
 [name of eligible school nearby]
 [name of eligible school nearby]
 [name of eligible school nearby]
Because of that, students who are attending, entering or assigned to one of these schools are eligible
to apply for an EdChoice Scholarship worth up to $[4,250/5,000] that can be used for tuition at
[Name of School]. There are absolutely no income guidelines to apply.
There are many more schools across Ohio whose students are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
For a complete list of eligible schools, visit www.education.ohio.gov.
In addition, incoming kindergarten, first grade and second grade students are eligible for an IncomeBased Scholarship to attend our school at no cost if their family’s income is at or below 200% of
federal poverty guidelines. For example, a student whose family of four has an income less than
$48,500 would be eligible to apply.
[Paragraph about what makes your school great/unique.]
If you are applying for one of the scholarships, be sure to enroll your child in [Name of School] by
[Date]. [If transportation is available, say so here.]
You can renew the scholarships through high school graduation.
Be sure to spread the word about these scholarship programs to your friends, family, neighbors and
coworkers.
Questions? Call [Name of School] today at [Phone Number].
Thank you,
[Email Signature]
Facebook Posts
These are Facebook posts that you can copy and paste as a status. Just remember to customize the information
in the brackets!
Did you know our school accepts the EdChoice Scholarship? If your child attends one of Ohio’s
lowest-rated public schools, he or she could be eligible for a scholarship worth up to $5,000 to
use toward tuition at our school! Contact us to learn more!
Is your child currently attending [name of eligible school nearby]? What about [name of
eligible school nearby]? Children attending those schools can receive a scholarship worth
$[4,250/5,000] to attend [Name of Your School]! Give us a call today to learn more at [Phone
Number].
Is your child entering kindergarten, first or second grade this year? Depending on your family
income, your child may be eligible for a scholarship to attend our school at no cost! Call us
today at [Phone Number] to check your eligibility.
Tweets
Is your school on Twitter? If so, below are some tweets you can copy, paste and customize for easy sharing.
 We happily accept EdChoice Scholarships! All children deserve a quality education. Learn more
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by contacting us today.
Your child could be eligible for a scholarship from the state to attend [Name of School]! Visit
our website to learn more.
Does your child attend a low-rated public school? If so, he or she could receive up to
$[4,250/5,000] toward tuition at [Name of School].
Text for Website
Below are some text options that you can copy and paste onto your school’s website. Choose the one you like
best, and display it prominently on your school’s homepage. This will help inform parents who are checking out
your website about the scholarships.
Our school is proud to participate in the EdChoice Scholarship Program. Students who attend
the state’s lowest rated schools are eligible to apply for a scholarship worth up to
$[4,250/5,000] to use toward tuition at our school! Click here to learn more about the
EdChoice Scholarship. Questions? Call us today at [Phone Number] to learn more.
We are happy to accept EdChoice Scholarship students. Is your child EdChoice eligible? Give
us a call today at [Phone Number] to get the ball rolling on your child’s application process.
Is your child entering kindergarten, first or second grade this year? Depending on your family
income, your child may be eligible for a scholarship to attend our school at no cost! Call us
today at [Phone Number] to check your eligibility.
[Place on Official School Letterhead]
Media Contact: Name
Phone: Phone Number
Email: Email Address
[Name of School] now accepting students eligible for Ohio’s
EdChoice Scholarship Program
[CITY], Ohio ([Date],[ Year]) – [Name of School] is now accepting students who are eligible for an EdChoice
Scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year. Parents can work with [Name of School] to complete the
application process, and the school will submit the application to the Ohio Department of Education on behalf
of the family.
[“Insert quote from school leader,” said [Name of School] [Title] [Name]. “This would be the follow-up
portion of the quote.”]
The deadline to apply for the EdChoice Scholarship Program is [Date]. Because the application process can be
lengthy, parents of eligible children should contact the school as soon as possible.
There are 60,000 EdChoice scholarships available for eligible Ohio students. EdChoice scholarships are worth
up to $4,250 per year at the elementary and middle school levels and up to $5,000 per year for high school
students. Once a student receives a scholarship, he or she can continue to renew the scholarship through high
school graduation.
[Insert an informational paragraph about your private school here.]
For more information, or to find out if your student is eligible, contact [Name of School] at [phone number].
###
[Place on Official School Letterhead]
Media Contact: Name
Phone: Phone Number
Email: Email Address
[Name of School] now accepting students eligible for Ohio’s
Income-Based Scholarship Program
[CITY], Ohio ([Date], [Year]) – [Name of School] is now accepting students who are eligible for an IncomeBased Scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year. Parents can work with [Name of School] to complete the
application process, and the school will submit the application to the Ohio Department of Education on behalf
of the family.
[“Insert quote from school leader,” said [Name of School] [Title] [Name]. “This would be the follow-up
portion of the quote.”]
The deadline to apply for the Income-Based Scholarship Program is [Date]. Because the application process can
be lengthy, parents should begin contacting schools as soon as possible.
The Income-Based Scholarship Program provides scholarships to eligible students who are entering
kindergarten, first grade or second grade in the 2015-16 school year. Any kindergarten, first or second-grade
student whose family’s income is at or below 200 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines is eligible to apply.
For example, a family of four making less than $48,500 would be eligible.
Scholarships are worth $4,250. Families must use the scholarship to pay tuition at the participating private
school of their choice.
[Insert an informational paragraph about your private school here.]
For more information, or to find out if your student is eligible, contact [Name of School] at [phone number].
###
Your child could be eligible for a scholarship to attend
[Insert Name of School]!
Does your child attend one
of these schools?
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[Eligible public school in your area]
[Eligible public school in your area]
[Eligible public school in your area]
[Eligible public school in your area]
If so, your child is eligible for an EdChoice
Scholarship worth up to [$4,250/$5,000]
that can be used toward tuition at
[Insert Name of School]!
Contact [Name of School]
today to learn more!
[School Phone]
[School Email]
 Deadline to enroll is [DATE]
 [If transportation is available, say so]
 Nearly 60,000 scholarships available
for the 2015-16 school year
 No income guidelines to apply!
For a complete list of eligible schools,
visit www.education.ohio.gov
How to make a public records request to a school district
Non-profit organizations and other entities are allowed to make public records requests of government entities if
the information received will not be used for a profit-making activity (such as soliciting donations) and are
entitled to a reasonably-timely response.
In the case of a school district, what you’re after is generally termed “directory information” – the names,
addresses, and phone numbers of children attending a specific school building or buildings.
The following text has been used fairly successfully to obtain this information from districts with EdChoiceeligible schools for the last several years. Note that some districts are getting more resistant – and more clever –
and sometimes you have to take no for an answer unless you have unlimited funding for legal efforts. At a
minimum, a request must be responded to in the negative with an explanation as to why they cannot comply
fully with your request.
Basic request letter text
Here is the basic text with some notes to follow.
{Date}
{Superintendent Name}i
{District Name}
{Address}
{City, State Zip}
Dear {Superintendent Name}:
Based upon the Public Records Act as amended as of September 29, 2007ii, the person signing below is making
the following public records request on behalf of {Your School/Organization Name}, a not-for-profit
organization.
According to legal counseliii, the information requested is available as a public record as defined by Ohio
Revised Code § 149.43iv. Further, § 3319.321(B)v states that the information requested qualifies as “directory
information” subject to disclosure. We request that your district provide us with the directory information for
all students in attendance at the following schools in your district:
{List all school names for which you want directory information}vi
Please include at least the directory information listed below for each child. If you have designated any part of
the requested information as not subject to release, please provide the parts which are available. We request
that these be provided in electronic format (compact disc, email, flash drive, etc.) or in the alternative in paper
form or any other fixed medium:
1. Student Name
2. Student Phone Number
3. Student Address
4. Student’s Grade Level for the {School Year dates} School Year (e.g. grade 5)
Electronic records may be sent via e-mail to {preferred recipient name and email address)vii. Any physical
version of the records (disc, flash drive, hard copy, etc.) can be sent by United State Postal Service to:
{Name and address of snail mail recipient}
Consistent with §3319.321(A)viii, {Your School/Organization Name} represents that this information will not be
used in a profit-making plan or activity nor will any information be disclosed to any other party in violation of
§3319.321(B)(3)ix.
We understand that you are entitled to a reasonable amount of time in which to fulfill the request. If you will not
be able to fulfill this request in approximately 2 weeksx, please contact {preferred recipient name and contact
information}.
If there are any questions or pre-conditions to fulfilling this request which must be addressed, please contact
{preferred recipient name and contact information}.
We look forward to receiving the above requested information.
Sincerely,
{Live signature}
{Name and title of highest-ranking person in your organization}xi
Notes on text:
Go for the top person in the district – they’ll make sure it gets to the right office to respond; send a proper letter, not an email; if you
want extra oomph, send a registered letter with delivery confirmation so you know it arrived.
ii
Info on the 2006/7 Public Records Act (aka HB 9), you can click here.
iii
Then-State Auditor Mary Taylor put out a nice bulletin on this updated legislation when it went into effect in 2007.
iv
This section of the ORC has been recently amended by HB 64 but is still legit for the purposes of this letter.
v
More info here.
vi
Just ask for the school or schools you want/need; don’t overreach.
vii
Electronic is better/faster/easier for you to turn into a mailing list/labels; if you get hundreds of names in hard copy, that’s a lot of
time and effort to make them useful. Some districts will send you hard copy (or electronic versions that are not easily translated to
Excel) just to make it difficult.
viii
See Footnote 5 above, for link
ix
See Footnote 5 above, for link
x
This is, of course, a lot of time, and most districts will respond within days rather than weeks. But you’ve got to put a deadline on it
or they can stretch it out forever. This also gives you a point at which you can send a follow-up letter or phone call to see what’s up.
xi
Even if the highest-ranking person in your organization is not going to deal with the records personally, best to put their name on it
to make it as official as possible.
i