Rural and low-income schools

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the Ohio Department of Education $2,092,516 on July 1, 2026, under the Rural Education program (CFDA 84.358), a formula grant providing financial assistance to rural districts to improve the quality of teaching and learning in their schools.

The grant funds activities to support rural schools and districts across Ohio. The award carries a period of performance through September 30, 2027, and is administered from Columbus, Ohio. Under the Rural Education program structure, the Ohio Department of Education, as the state educational agency, receives the funding and distributes subgrants to eligible local educational agencies on a formula basis. Eligible LEAs must meet rural designation criteria under the National Center for Education Statistics school locale methodology and either serve fewer than 600 students in average daily attendance, be located in counties with population density below 10 persons per square mile, or have at least 20 percent of school children ages 5–17 from families with incomes below the poverty line. The grant is awarded for one year and requires records maintenance for three years after activity completion.