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We offer 94 doctoral programs and 97 master’s programs, with new programs introduced every year. With so much available at one university, there are countless opportunities to pursue research, undertake in-depth study and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Read about the top five reasons students choose to complete their graduate degree at Ohio State.

Explore the many fellowships, graduate assistant ships, and other opportunities that support graduate students at Ohio State.

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Visit Graduate and Professional Admissions at to find even more information about graduate school requirements, specific programs application process and to access resources to apply to and start your graduate education journey at Ohio State.

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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

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The Ohio State University is one of the world’s best public research universities, offering about 280 graduate study programs in all. The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) has 23 degree options to choose from across 8 academic departments, 3 interdisciplinary programs, and School of Environment and Natural Resources.

Research is a key component of graduate education. CFAES – made of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and OSU Extension – translates cutting edge research to stakeholders across the state. By engaging with our stakeholders, we provide research, technology, and knowledge to support safe, sustainable, and viable agricultural practices across Ohio and the world.

As a land-grant university, we strive to recruit top students with diverse backgrounds in order to solve the grand challenges of the future. We affirm our conviction that racism and inequality have no place in CFAES and share our  CFAES Principles of Community  as a base for managing these actions. We all contribute to our community and our collective experience.

Whether you are a prospective student looking for information about our programs or a current student seeking resources, you can find everything here. For general questions, feel free to reach out to the CFAES Graduate Education Coordinator, Kayla Arnold .

Call for Proposals: 2024 Engaged Scholarship Symposium

Aug 27, 2024

Are you a graduate student passionate about making a difference in your community through your research? Ohio State’s Engaged Scholars are calling for proposals for the 2024 Engaged Scholarship Symposium, hosted by the Office of Outreach and Engagement on November 1. This event is a fantastic opportunity for graduate students to showcase their engaged scholarship and compete in a poster competition.

2023 CFAES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Speaker Series

Feb 1, 2023

The 2023 CFAES DEI Speaker Series will kick off on Thursday, February 16th and take place on the third Thursday of select months from 12-1:15 p.m. All events are virtual and open to all, including the public.

Read more information about each session on the CFAES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage:  https://cfaesdei.osu.edu/workshopsprograms/2023-dei-speaker-series

Research Forum and Poster Competition Registration is Live

Jan 13, 2023

Each year the researchers across our college come together to present their research and support their colleagues. We are excited to announce that information is now updated for the 2023 competition! 

Please register at the link below to indicate your intent to participate in the poster competition. You will submit your name, department, etc. Your poster and abstract files are not due until March 10, 2023.

Register now

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Engineering Education PhD Program

Launched in 2018, the Engineering Education PhD Program is home to diverse, exceptional graduate students who are pursuing groundbreaking research with our graduate faculty in many areas, including:      • Diversity and inclusion      • Motivation and identity      • Professional development of engineers      • Pedagogy, assessment and evaluation      • Engineering in P-16

Graduates of the PhD program are excellent candidates for work in government and policy, the non-profit sector, P-12 settings,industry, corporate training, and teaching and research positions at top universities.

The Department of Engineering Education teaches over 3,500 undergraduate students annually through our course offerings, including a First-Year Engineering sequence, Engineering Technical Communications courses, and Multidisciplinary Capstone design programs. This large-scale instructional program provides a built-in laboratory or testing ground for ongoing education research activities, and our collaboration with the College of Education and Human Ecology provides the linkage between basic educational theory and applied engineering education practice needed for effective research in this field.

This provides a rich setting for engaging in engineering education research and the means to fund graduate students who are interested in advancing the field by transforming research into classroom practice. Our faculty mentor their graduate students by modeling and advocating scholarly, evidence-based teaching; exploring the ways in which engineers interact with society at large; and integrating pedagogical discovery, practice and dissemination through world-class engineering education research.

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Tracy Hanson                        Graduate Program Coordinator [email protected] 614-247-6568

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Ohio State graduate programs score high marks from U.S. News & World Report

Rankings highlight the depth and breadth of graduate education.

Sixteen of The Ohio State University’s graduate and professional programs are ranked in the top 10 in their fields in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report  2022 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools.

Seven colleges have top 10 graduate and professional programs in the latest rankings: the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business (Fisher), Education and Human Ecology, Engineering, Law (Moritz), Nursing, and Public Affairs (John Glenn). U.S. News’  rankings of graduate and professional programs cover just a small portion of the programs offered at Ohio State, and not all programs are ranked each year.

“The excellence displayed across the university reflects Ohio State’s focus on developing the next generation of leaders throughout society,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron. “Our comprehensive scope and focus on collaboration across disciplines acts as a force multiplier, preparing our graduate and professional students for leadership roles.”

Ohio State enrolls more than 14,000 graduate and professional students in 90 doctoral and 110 master's programs.

The Top 10 graduate and professional programs include dispute resolution (2), pediatric primary care nurse practitioner (3), business supply chain/logistics (4), psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner (5), student counseling and personnel (5), doctor of nursing practice: administration (6), higher education administration (8), public management and leadership (8), education administration and supervision (9), business production/operations (9), nursing master’s (9), adult/gerontological primary care nurse practitioner (10), biological/agricultural engineering (10), part-time MBA (10), social stratification (10) and sociology of population (10).

Below are some highlights from  U.S. News’  2022 rankings of Ohio State graduate programs, by college.

The College of Arts and Sciences has five of its social sciences and humanities programs newly ranked this year. Political science is ranked 17th, sociology is ranked 18th, and economics, English and history are each ranked 30th among programs in the United States. Additionally, political science, which ranks sixth among programs at public universities, houses top specialties in American politics (11), international politics (12), political methodology (13) and comparative politics (20). Sociology, ranking eighth among programs at public universities, boasts two specialties ranked 10th in the nation: social stratification and sociology of population. Finally, English’s specialty in American literature after 1865 is ranked 13th.

Led by its MBA for Working Professionals Program (WPMBA), Fisher College of Business is home to two graduate programs highly ranked in the 2022 list. The WPMBA program was 10th among all U.S. programs (rising three spots), and fifth among U.S. publics — up two spots. Its full-time MBA program was 14th among U.S. publics. In addition, several specialty areas were highly ranked: supply chain management (4) and productions/operations (9).

The College of Education and Human Ecology ranks 28 out of 277 graduate education programs nationwide, putting it in the top 10% of similar programs. Three of its specialty graduate education programs were ranked in the top 10 nationally, and four additional programs made the top 20 list.

The College of Engineering’ s graduate program is ranked first in Ohio and 16th among all public universities. Several departments within the college also placed among the top programs in the nation. The Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering ranked 10th among its peers within American universities. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering retained its rank of 12th overall. Other top 25 engineering disciplines at Ohio State include nuclear engineering (15), industrial/manufacturing engineering (16), aerospace engineering (19) and computer engineering (22). Overall, 216 engineering schools that grant doctoral degrees were surveyed. Ohio State Engineering is ranked 30th overall.

Moritz College of Law ranked best in Ohio and 40th in the nation out of 193 accredited law schools. The specialty program in dispute resolution is ranked second in the nation and five programs rank in the top 25 in the country: dispute resolution, criminal law, contract law, health law, and legal writing.

The College of Medicine ranked 28th in the ranking of Best Medical Schools–Primary Care, moving up 10 spots versus last year, and ranked 33rd among Best Medical Schools–Research, moving up one spot. In addition, Ohio State ranked seventh for Most Diverse Medical Schools, a new category this year. Specialty programs in surgery ranked 17th, anesthesiology ranked 18th and pediatrics ranked 21st. This recognizes the College of Medicine as one of the most diverse institutions in the country, providing top-tier medical and graduate education programs.

The College of Nursing’s master of science in nursing and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs were recognized for excellence in academic rigor and outcomes, with several specialization tracks singled out as top-five programs among public institutions. The rankings included ninth overall and third among public colleges for the master of science in nursing and 18th overall and eighth among public colleges for the DNP programs. This is the third consecutive year that the College of Nursing’s master’s program ranks in the nation’s top 10 and that its DNP program ranks in the nation’s top 20.

The John Glenn College of Public Affairs is ranked 13th in the country out of 285 ranked schools, placing it among the top 5% of public affairs graduate professional degree programs. No other public affairs program in Ohio is ranked in the top 50 schools. The college is also rated in eight out of 12 specialties ranked by U.S. News .

The College of Public Health  is ranked first in Ohio and in the top 25 in the nation among 188 public health schools and programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The college’s specialty program in health care management — the Master of Health Administration — was also ranked first in the state and seventh overall in the most recent analysis of those programs.

A number of Ohio State programs earned high marks in previous years and the magazine reprints rankings from previous years in some fields.

More Ohio State News

Ohio state reports record enrollment for 2024-25.

The Ohio State University today announced the enrollment of a record first-year class on the Columbus campus. The class of 9,530 students is the largest in the university’s 154-year history.

Central America could play troubling new role in cocaine trade

For many decades, the coca plant – the main ingredient in cocaine – has been grown almost exclusively in South America. But a new study shows that nearly half of northern Central America appears to be highly suitable for cultivating this lucrative cash crop.

Ohio State event celebrates contributions of women and girls

To kick off the 2024-25 academic year, Ohio State hosted a free event highlighting the university’s relationships with community organizations.

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Art Education (MA, PhD, Online)

The MA program in Art Education gives students the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be well-informed and reflective practitioners, teachers, and researchers. The program consists of a coherent pattern of courses and other educational experiences, either a research thesis or a final project, and a final oral examination.

The Online Master's Degree Program in Art Education at The Ohio State University is the first and premier online art education offering in the United States. The program has served art(s) educators teaching in a variety of settings, including public and private schools, community arts centers, museums, residential facilities, and colleges and universities.

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Graduate Tuition and Fees 2024-2025

The Ohio State University's tuition and fees are set by the Board of Trustees; and as mandated by the State of Ohio. Tuition and fees may vary by college and academic program. In addition, students should anticipate expenses such as books, supplies, travel, recreation and personal items. The university reserves the right to assess fees for special services and programs applicable to students.

Autumn 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 Tuition and Fee Tables

Columbus graduate programs.

*Students pay a half credit hour fee for 0.0-0.5 credit hour. Per credit hour fee is not to exceed the total cost of 8 credit hours.

1 For non-resident students exclusively enrolled in a for-credit online degree or certificate program listed at Ohio State Online, the Distance Education Non-Resident Surcharge is $200 per student per term, otherwise the Non-Resident Surcharge is $1,802.44 per credit hour.

2 All on-site fees are waived, and the non-resident tuition is reduced to $200.

3 This program is primarily a distance learning program, with a few students who are enrolled on campus. Graduate Nursing students also pay a learning technology ($239.04) and program fee ($1,249.60).

5 Summer term program-based fee. The program transitioned from 6 to 8 hours per semester and fees were reduced beginning in Summer 2017.

6 Students in this program also pay a $261 Learning Technology fee prorated by credit hour.

8 Each additional credit hour above 8.0 will have additional Instructional Fee and General Fee.

9 Graduate Nursing students also pay a learning technology ($239.04) and program fee ($1,249.60). Students enrolled in an online program in the College of Nursing will pay a Nursing Distance Learning Fee of $228 in place of the Learning Technology Fee; site-based fees, including Student Activity Fee, Recreational Fee, Student Union Fee, and COTA Bus Fee will be replaced by the university's general $100 Distance Learning Fee.

10 Figures for SMB-Analytics program are based on program-based fees. Students enrolled in this program attend full-time two semesters and 7.5 credit hours in the third semester. For students taking all distance courses, all on-site fees are waived, and the non-resident tuition is reduced to $200.

11 This online certificate program is a total of 4.5 credit hours with a rate of $945 per credit hour.

REGIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAMS

1 For non-resident students exclusively enrolled in a for-credit online degree or certificate program listed at Ohio State Online, the Distance Education Non-Resident Surcharge is $200 per student per term, otherwise the Non-Resident Surcharge is $1,802.44 per credit hour.           

Per Credit Hour Fees

Some programs charge a Learning Technology Fee and/or a Program Fee to pay for certain program related expenses. If enrolled in one of the programs listed below, the per credit hour fee will be charged based on a student’s course load (total enrollment hours) for the semester.

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY FEES

1 Specific Agriculture majors and plans only.

2 Students enrolled in an online program in the College of Nursing will pay a Nursing Distance Learning Fee of $228 in place of the Learning Technology Fee; site-based fees, including Student Activity Fee, Recreational Fee, Student Union Fee, and COTA Bus Fee will be replaced by the university's general $100 Distance Learning Fee.

PROGRAM FEES / LAB FEES

1 Began Autumn 2019.

2 Beginning Spring 2024.

Annual Fees

Program fees.

1 Digital and Dental Material Fee (Clinic Fee) beginning with students admitted autumn 2023 or after; students will be assessed the fee in the first enrolled term in an academic year.

Per Semester Fees

Non-distance learning program fees.

All Non-Distance Learning Programs have the following fees per semester: 

DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM FEES

All Distance Learning programs (All Campuses) have a $100 Distance Learning Program Fee.

2024-2025 COURSE FEES / LAB FEES

Course fee(s) are designed to fund additional costs for specific courses. Any courses that require added materials and/or equipment will have this fee assessed each semester/term. The college or plan (major) determines the level of the course fee. To see if a particular course has a fee, review the course fee  list below.

All graduate courses are listed as Columbus regardless of the campus location of the course.

1 Amount per credit hour

Additional Fees

Not all fees are represented above. Additional fees that may apply are detailed on the Explanation of Fees, Adjustments and Refunds page. 

View Additional Fees that may apply

Total Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fees detailed on this page do not include housing  and  dining options, financial aid or scholarships. Student Financial Aid provides a cost of attendance tool that provides an early estimate of your total cost of attending The Ohio State University as a graduate or professional student:

View the Cost of Attendance Tool for Graduate and Professional Students

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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

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The 2024 CFAES STARS Program (Strategic Alignment for Research Success), brought to you by the Office for Research & Graduate Education, is an initiative to identify and develop the next generation of research leaders among early and mid-career tenure track faculty within the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The goal of the STARS Program is to propel emerging research leaders – those individuals with the interest, vision, and motivation – to take their research programs to a higher and more collaborative level. Applications to join the 2024/2025 cohort have closed. Please check back in the spring of 2025 for the 2025/2026 application.  

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Applications to join the 2024/2025 cohort have closed. Please check back in the spring of 2025 for the 2025/2026 application.

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Please direct all questions to the general CFAES STARS email and a member of our team will follow up.

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Sports Analytics Online Graduate Certificate

If you're ready to take your sports analytics expertise to the next level, Ohio University's graduate-level Sport Analytics certificate program is for you. Offered by the Department of Sports Administration in the College of Business, this certificate program is designed to provide graduate students with the cutting-edge skills and in-depth knowledge required for successful sports analytics implementation. 

Our curriculum integrates Management Information Systems, Analytics and Sports Administration coursework, covering a wide spectrum of topics ranging from data wrangling to statistical analysis within the context of sports. You'll work with data from sport teams to develop insights and hone your technical skills, so you'll be able to immediately apply what you learn in the workplace.

To apply to OHIO's online graduate certificate program, you will need:

• Regionally accredited bachelor’s degree.
• Official transcripts from all degree bearing institutions at the bachelor’s level or higher and unofficial transcript for any additional college coursework.
• Undergraduate degree GPA of 3.0 or above (or demonstrated work experience to show potential for academic success)
• Transfer credits are not accepted for this program.  

This program does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this program.

Tuition & Fees

U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio University the #1 Best Value Public University in Ohio and 30th in the nation. We're continuously striving to make college more affordable and accessible, while maintaining the high quality and value of an OHIO education.

Scholarships

The College of Business offers several different financial opportunities for our professional and online graduate students, including a corporate partner program scholarship, alumni scholarship, and a veteran and military scholarship.

The graduate-level Sport Analytics certificate program curriculum is 15 credit hours, but students may choose to complete up to 18 hours of related coursework. After completing the certificate program, you will be able to:

• Develop techniques for sport data wrangling, enabling the collection, cleaning, and preparation of diverse sports data sources for analysis.
• Design contemporary sport data analyses to develop insights from diverse sets of sport data sources.
• Evaluate the skills to craft compelling narratives and insights from sports data, utilizing advanced sport data storytelling techniques to engage and inform technical and nontechnical audiences effectively.

To view all courses and learn more about the program, view the Sports Analytics Certificate page in the Graduate Catalog.

Sports Analytics Certificate

Online Learning at OHIO

Ohio University has a long tradition of offering online programs specifically designed for the modality and created for working professionals. Our online students complete engaging, comprehensive coursework that combines the academic excellence and experience-based learning of a traditional program with all the flexibility and convenience of online study.

With asynchronous courses and part-time scheduling (one course per seven weeks), you can earn your degree while maintaining your current work and personal commitments. Virtual office hours give you the opportunity to connect with peers and faculty. Access your coursework 24/7 and complete your assignments on a schedule that fits your life.

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If you have questions or would like more information about the Sport Analytics graduate certificate program, contact Dr. Lamar Reams at [email protected] .

Related Programs

• Business Analytics Certificate Online Program
• Online Graduate Certificate in Advanced Business Analytics
• Online Master of Business Analytics
• Sports Administration Masters Programs

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Ohio school report cards are out. Here's how Licking County schools did

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. The Heath City School District did not experience a decrease in any category.

did not change, didn't experience a decrease in the gap closing or any other category in the 2023-24 report card.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce released its annual school district report cards Friday, and most Licking County districts met statewide standards . 

Granville Exempted Village, Northridge Local and Licking Heights Local school districts received the highest rankings among all Licking County districts, with five and four-and-a-half star ratings, respectively. A district received four or five stars if it exceeded standards or did so significantly. 

Three stars meant the school met statewide standards, and all but one Licking County district — Newark City Schools — met that threshold. 

The state collects data from more than 600 public school districts statewide and annually releases ratings based on their performance during the school year; this year’s rankings accounted for the 2023-24 cycle. 

The state uses five categories to aggregate a school district’s overall ranking : achievement, progress, early literacy, gap closing and graduation. The ratings aim to help parents, educators and taxpayers understand which areas students are doing well in while highlighting others needing improvement. 

The achievement category assesses students’ performance on state tests meeting established thresholds and how well they did on tests overall. Progress compares year-to-year test scores.

With early literacy, the state measures how well districts support struggling readers and their performance on third-grade reading tests. 

The graduation category shows the percentage of students graduating within four or five years of starting high school, while the gap closing column determines whether students of different races are meeting state standards.

Here’s what else to know about the rankings. 

Licking Heights, Northridge experience year-to-year boost

Two districts increased their overall ratings from the 2022-23 school year: Licking Heights and Northridge.

Licking Heights, after posting a four-star rating that cycle, improved to four-and-a-half this past year. It experienced increases in all five categories, particularly the gap closing and early literacy ones. 

"Early literacy is one of the things we're most proud of because we've had a really keen focus on early literacy skills with our kids in primary grades," Licking Heights Superintendent Kevin Miller said. "We strongly feel that reading is the foundation of everything else.

"When you think about the fact that 20% of our kids come from non-English speaking homes, kids who are economically disadvantaged — we just have a lot of challenges to get through each day with our kids, so that kind of outcome is outstanding to be honest."

Northridge Local went from four to four-and-a-half stars because of notable increases in its early literacy and graduation ratings, the data show. It maintained similar scores in the other categories. 

Newark City, Lakewood Local drop in ranking 

Just two districts dropped in ranking: Newark City Schools and Lakewood Local. 

Newark City Schools posted a three-star rating during the 2022-23 school year but dropped to two-and-a-half stars this past year. It experienced decreases in four of five categories, including a more than 15-point drop in gap closing and near three-point decrease in graduation percentage. It scored the lowest graduation percentage — 80.2% — among all districts, according to the data.

In an email, Newark City Schools Superintendent David Lewis said the district is "still in the early stages" of assessing the data and likes to look at the "trend data over the last three to five years to determine growth."

"On the surface as a district, we're disappointed that we were rated just 2.5 stars. Our graduation rate sticks out as an area of immediate need for improvement. We've started programs — such as workforce development — to help more students reach graduation on-time.

"We had successes across all of our buildings, and will look for ways to celebrate those successes."

The district improved by nearly five points in the early literacy category, however. 

Like Newark City Schools, Lakewood Local had a massive drop in its gap closing score, decreasing from 56.8% to 38.6%. But its achievement, early literacy and graduation scores all stayed the same or increased. 

Other districts maintain same grade but some improvement, drop off

School districts such Heath City and Southwest Licking Local had the same ratings compared to the year prior, but they progressed in some areas, including in their gap closing and progress categories. 

Southwest Licking Local Superintendent Kasey Perkins told The Advocate in an email that the district was "extremely pleased" with its overall ratings.

"We continue to see improvements in different areas while maintaining our place in others," Perkins said. "Our permanent improvement data continues to grow while the district increased from four stars to five stars in our gap closing.

"Our growing English language learner population continues to exceed state expectations and we continue to reduce our chronic absenteeism indictor. Our educators have worked hard with our students to achieve high marks and we will continue to utilize state testing data as one point of reference in the decision making process."

Licking Valley Local, Johnstown-Montrose Local and North Fork Local also didn’t change in rating but did experience some drop offs, particularly in the gap closing category. Heath City and Johnstown-Monroe maintained four-star ratings.

Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at  [email protected] .

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Columbus school board puts heavy restrictions on member Brandon Simmons over behavior

The Columbus City Schools Board of Education voted Monday to censure and place further restrictions on embattled member Brandon Simmons, whom his colleagues say has been entering district buildings without permission and making threatening statements.

The resolution also requests Simmons resign. The vote was 6-1 with Simmons voting against the measure before he got up and stormed out of the meeting.

The board's action during a special meeting Monday night comes after Simmons filed a state auditor complaint against others on the board. But Board President Christina Vera said the action "was in no way, shape or form a retaliation" against Simmons for his complaint, but rather "safety of our students, our staff."

"I recognize that this is hard on everybody, and most importantly, our students and our families deserve better," Vera said. "And at the end of the day, as a board, we will not tolerate or compromise the safety of this district for anyone."

Simmons has been at the center of controversy since a draft of a proposed strategy for handling opposition  to the district's plan to close school buildings was first published in May by the district's teachers union. It called for driving a wedge between the district's two unions, bringing in loud machines if unions hold a news conference on school property, not ignore employing "racial dynamics" in the effort to divide the unions, and making last-minute changes on the location of public input meetings on the closures to keep opponents confused.

First censured by the board in June, Simmons claimed at the time that others were involved, yet he has never released information to substantiate that claim. In June, the board voted to release a legal investigation into the document that board leadership said established that full  responsibility for the draft rested with Simmons and that he had possibly deleted evidence, The Dispatch previously reported.

CCS initially announced the meeting Monday to consider "action related to charges or complaints against a public official." Board Member Sarah Ingles introduced the resolution to censure Simmons, which said Simmons has violated board policies about unannounced visits to district buildings and has made threatening and harassing remarks to other board members.

The resolution alleges Simmons has entered school buildings without making prior arrangements, including following employees or students into the buildings, entering illegally. In early August, the district removed his credentials to enter buildings.

In one instance, Simmons was found standing in an administrator's office in the dark, when the administrator was out of the building, according to the resolution. In other instances, he has been found wandering through buildings or using empty offices and conference rooms "as if they were his own."

Simmons also sent a number of text messages to large groups of administrators and board members, giving them 24 hours to retract the June report that found he was the sole author of the leaked document.

The censure resolution Monday places additional restrictions on Simmons, including preventing him from communicating with anyone in the district other than the board president and vice president via email, only allowing him access to the board office a half-hour before meetings, restricts Simmons from communicating directly with other board members and allows him to only be present on district property for purposes of attendance at board meetings or he will be referred to law enforcement for trespassing.

Simmons will also be assigned a district security guard who will escort him through buildings he is in for his official capacity as board member.

Last month, Simmons held several press conferences near school property and made statements calling the other board members "feckless."

At one of the press conferences he held last month , Simmons said in response to a question from The Dispatch that he was "at political rock bottom," and acknowledged he was facing substantial political headwinds.

The Dispatch also obtained audio—via a public records request—between Simmons and two members of the board, which Simmons submitted to the Ohio Auditor's Office. The audio, which appears to have been from a discussion before the leaked document was made public, shows board member Tina Pierce coaching Simmons on how to manage the upcoming political crisis stemming from the leaked document scandal.

Simmons files complaint against fellow board members with state

Simmons said in a Monday press release that he reported his fellow board members to the State Auditor’s Office for "misuse of public funds" related to the inquiry into the document scandal, saying they "used the district's public resources to hide information from the public."

Simmons added that he had turned over audio recordings in his possession that were recorded after May 10 that he says "will shine light on how the board responded to the document leak." Simmons said he would not be publicly releasing the documents.

Simmons also alleged in his release that he began experiencing retaliation from other members of the board, including being confined to the lobby of the district's Downtown office, "denied restroom privileges, and even faced threats of physical violence from one of his colleagues."

A spokesperson for the Ohio Auditor's Office said Simmons had contacted its special investigations unit and they are reviewing the information provided.

[email protected]

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