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In an era of school choice, districts across the country are facing declining enrollment, funding challenges and increased competition. Here in Ohio, the state Department of Education just received $105 million in federal funding to expand charter schools, while the state continues to offer one of the largest private school voucher programs in the U.S.

Public school districts have two options. They can sit back and hope the pendulum of support swings back to public education, or they can use increased competition as a driving force for innovation to best serve their students’ specific needs.

In Worthington, Ohio, where I became school superintendent 11 years ago, the district has embraced school choice as an opportunity. Serving students in a diverse, inner suburb of Columbus, Worthington Schools hit its highest enrollment in history in 2025, without boundary or population shifts. Families are choosing neighborhood public schools despite an abundance of alternatives, and the community continues to invest in modernizing district facilities.

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The lessons learned demonstrate that public schools not only continue to matter to families, but they can set benchmarks for excellence in today’s competitive education landscape.

One of the top reasons parents lean toward school choice is that they are searching for rigorous and challenging learning experiences for their children. To remain competitive, districts need to think beyond the traditional classroom and create academic and extracurricular opportunities that fit students’ learning styles, interests and goals.

For instance, the Linworth Experiential Program allows Worthington’s second-semester high school seniors to complete their education in real-world settings, from working alongside business leaders to backpacking across Europe.

Phoenix Middle School offers a mastery-based learning environment that emphasizes taking intellectual risks and reframing mistakes as learning opportunities. A key component of the program is Phoenix’s Connections class, a writing course that deepens students’ critical thinking skills across all core subjects. Teachers encourage inquiry by asking open-ended questions and posing thought experiments, helping students develop basic techniques of analysis, organize arguments and evaluate evidence, and learn how to engage one another respectfully in sustained discussions of current ethical and social issues.

Expanding extracurriculars to appeal to every student’s interests is a tall order on a small budget. However, keeping kids busy with positive learning experiences and connected to school and friends prevents them from filling their time with less favorable activities. Through a combination of community funding and participation fees, Worthington has expanded its extracurriculars offerings to include 33 varsity sports, a variety of music programs and 70 clubs.

Because real learning happens through relationships, the district has also focused on ensuring that all students know they have an identified, trusted adult within the school system who cares for and believes in them. This one-on-one connection is a clear expectation for every member of the school community, whether they are a teacher, coach, nurse, custodian or other staff member. This individualized attention and support shifts the narrative that public schools can’t provide the personalized experience parents want for their children.

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As centerpieces of their neighborhoods, Worthington schools host a variety of community activities, including art shows, Fourth of July fireworks displays and civic events, while sports stadiums and running tracks are open for use by the public. By building these connections, Worthington has in turn fostered essential public-private partnerships.

Some of the area’s largest employers, including Worthington Industries, Honda of America, Abbott Laboratories and Columbus State Community College, work with the district to provide on-site job training. Students gain critical career skills, while businesses develop a strong workforce built on local talent, ensuring the region remains an economic powerhouse.

Because Worthington’s relationships with local residents don’t end when their children graduate, there is greater community support for essential capital projects. Over the past few years, Worthington has passed multiple levies and launched a three-phase, 15-year master facilities plan to renovate decades-old buildings into modern learning environments that align with diverse student needs. To secure buy-in from the community, the district has maintained complete transparency and engaged families throughout the planning process.

Between 2017 and 2021, Worthington redesigned four middle schools, and in 2022, voters passed a bond issue to rebuild a 1950s-era high school. Through the support of the community, today’s students enjoy bigger and better classrooms, children with special needs or English learners have access to flexible learning spaces, and the community itself has new multipurpose rooms for public gatherings and events.

In today’s competitive education market, when families see firsthand how deeply a community cares about the long-term success of a school district and the funds it is willing to invest in their children’s education, they are likely to make public school not just their first choice, but their only choice.

The national debate around struggling student enrollment assumes public schools are in decline. Worthington’s experience shows there is another path.

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Public schools can grow, adapt and remain central to the community when they stay rooted in values, relationships and responsiveness. It’s up to forward-focused school and community leaders to rethink K-12 education and help public schools reclaim their status as the best option for families.

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