Ottawa Hills Schools so far has two new tuition-paying students enrolled for the 2017-18 school year, and district leaders are hopeful a few more students will enroll before the fall.

The public school district of about 950 students launched a marketing campaign over spring break to let area families know they can send their children to Ottawa Hills Schools, even if they live outside the district. The school has so far paid Hart Inc. of Maumee about $69,530 to target families with a marketing plan that includes direct mailers and social media advertising.

The district doesn’t participate in open enrollment, a practice that lets students attend a public school free of charge in a district other than where they live. But state law allows schools that don’t practice open enrollment to admit out-of-district students, if they pay.

“It’s something that a lot of [districts] aren’t doing,” Hart’s Sara Roemer told board members at a retreat on Tuesday. “We’re really excited to see the numbers that were generated from this.”

Ottawa Hills Schools has seen a 9.4 percent drop in student population over the last five years, and district leaders want to attract tuition-paying students to offset declining enrollment and ensure there will be enough students for extra-curricular programs to continue.

Board members set a goal of recruiting five new students when the campaign launched.

The marketing targeted parents of school-aged children who live in a 10-mile radius of Ottawa Hills and have a combined household income of $100,000 or more.

One hundred families indicated they were interested in learning more about the tuition option, and so far eight students have interviewed with administrators, Superintendent Kevin Miller said.

“There’s interest there. It’s certainly got people talking,” Mrs. Roemer said.

Ottawa Hills’ tuition is $13,428 for in-state students and $15,869 for out-of-state. It’s set by the Ohio Department of Education using a formula that takes into account state funding and local tax revenue.

The state’s per-pupil allowance is wrapped into the tuition price, so districts do not receive state funds for students who pay.

Board President Brad Johnson said he is pleased with the initial recruitment effort, even if they miss their goal of enrolling five students. He said he expects the board will ramp up its recruitment efforts next year.

“It’s not necessarily a financial issue, it’s more about having the students to put into all the different programs so that we can maintain them for everyone,” he said.

Contact Sarah Elms at: selms@theblade.com or 419-724-6103 or on Twitter @BySarahElms.

First Published June 21, 2017, 4:00 a.m.