Licensure Fees Increase

State Board of Education votes to increase fees for Ohio educator licenses

At its February meeting, the State Board of Education (SBOE) voted to modify the fee structure for all educator licenses in Ohio, effective March 1, 2008.

Ohio law requires the Offices of Educator Licensure and Professional Conduct to be self-supporting through licensure fees and not supported by taxpayer dollars. New laws and regulations concerning oversight of educator conduct, as well as new technology used for collecting, storing and processing licensure and professional conduct information, have increased costs.

Except for a modest $2 increase in fees nearly eight years ago, the Ohio Department of Education has avoided increases in fees for more than 14 years. Based on projected costs of operation, the new fee structure is set for most licenses at $40 per year for each year the license is valid.

The $40 fee also will provide for the cost of an educator’s information being retained in the
applicant fingerprint database, known as Rap Back. This service, which is already applicable to school transportation personnel, will be expanded to licensed educators.

ODE’s Office of Educator Licensure is available to answer questions about the new fee schedule. Please contact James Miller, Director, Offices of Educator Licensure and Professional Conduct, at 614-466-3593 for assistance. Members can also visit the ODE website, www.ode.state.oh.us (search keywords fee schedule), for an explanation of the fee increase and PDF of the fee schedule.