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Online Charter School in Ohio Cleared in Truancy Probe
By: Associated Press
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An online charter school in Ohio has been cleared of allegations lodged in an anonymous email that it failed to withdraw hundreds of chronically truant students to pad its rolls.
Findings from an investigation of Ohio Virtual Academy were received by the Ohio Department of Education on Wednesday. The Ohio Council of Community Schools, which oversees Ohio charter schools, found only minor reporting errors by the school.
Last month, a whistleblower emailed state lawmakers a list of 398 students who appeared to be chronically truant yet still enrolled in the school and drawing state payments. The allegations were referred to authorities.
Investigators found 12 students remained enrolled beyond accurate withdrawal dates and recommended improvements to the school’s truancy tracking. The investigation said data in the email may have been manipulated.