When Air Force Col. Cassie Barlow moved to Ohio to lead Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, her teenage daughter started at her 10th school in 16 years.
“When we moved, my first thought was: ‘Where will my daughter go to school?'” Barlow mentioned.
Barlow’s daughter did well in smaller schools, but since they lived on a base, Barlow chose to put her in a private school instead.
Starting April 9, a new law will let children of active-duty military parents enroll in any public school, as long as there is room available in the district.
Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, championed the changes in Senate Bill 208, which passed with unanimous, broad support. She said the new law helps attract military families to Ohio and shows appreciation for their service.
“Education is really important to families because it shapes their children’s future,” Roegner said. “We hope this will improve things for those who are ready to risk their lives for our country.”
Barlow’s daughter has finished high school. But she wears another hat as head of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education focused on workforce development. This bill will help attract military families to move to Ohio and stay there.
“The job market is very competitive right now.” Barlow said that having something like this makes us more appealing to service members and veterans.
How would this change benefit military families?
Right now, school districts have to choose whether or not they will let kids from other districts enroll, no matter the situation. If districts permit open registration, it might only be available to nearby school districts. Soon, schools will start allowing exceptions for kids from military homes.
It’s unclear how many students will use this choice. In the 2022-2023 school year, over 7,300 children from military families attended schools in Ohio, as shown by a legislative review. Many people live close to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is just east of Dayton, or the Defense Supply Center Columbus in Whitehall.
Schools with military children could get more state funding, while schools that these kids leave might lose some money, based on an analysis of the financial effects of the bill.
Ohio will allow open registration for children in military families, joining 17 other states that already do this. The change will benefit military families, whose kids may switch schools as many as 10 times before they graduate, according to Shane Preston, the Great Lakes Region representative at the U.S. Department of Defense-State Representative Office.
“Military families face challenges in finding schools for their kids because of the timing of their moves,” Preston told lawmakers.
Roegner proposed a bill to assist military children after creating about twelve laws that let nurses, physical therapists, counselors, audiologists, and other workers use their out-of-state licenses in Ohio. These license agreements support anyone thinking about moving to Ohio, she said.
When families choose a new place to live, they think about how easy or difficult it will be for their partners to get jobs and for their kids to find schools, Roegner said. “Hopefully, this will make it easier.”
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