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Charter School Expansion Bill Passes West Virginia House
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday passed a bill that would increase the number of public charter schools. The bill passed on a 66-32 vote with two delegates not voting. All Democrats voted against the bill. The bill now goes to the Senate. It would increase the number of… Read More

Charter School Operators Must Be Non-Profit Under Bipartisan Bill
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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Nearly 180 charter schools will have to change how they do business or shut down under a new bipartisan bill introduced in the Ohio House. It’s the latest attempt to crack down on charter schools. Charter schools are non-profit by law, but around 178 are managed by for-profit operators. The bill from Rep. Gayle Manning… Read More

Document Review Slows State Lawsuit Against E-school Founder
By: Associated Press
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A review of thousands of documents is delaying a state lawsuit aimed at recouping millions of dollars from the founder and leaders of what was once Ohio’s largest online charter school. Lawyers for the defendants tied to the defunct Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow said they located about 50,000 new documents the… Read More

W. Va. Education Board Puts Charter School Plan Up for Comment
By: Associated Press
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia Board of Education will give the public 60 days to comment on a proposal on charter schools, double the normal allotted time. The board put the policy proposal up for comment Thursday. Legislation signed by Gov. Jim Justice authorizes a staggered implementation of public charter schools, limiting the state to… Read More

West Virginia Board of Education to Discuss Charter Schools
By: Associated Press
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia Board of Education is set to discuss charter schools this week. The board will meet on Wednesday and Thursday in Charleston. A board policy proposal on charter schools is on Thursday’s agenda. Details of the policy were scheduled for release Wednesday. The board’s agenda says it’s recommended that… Read More

Proposed State Bill Creates Infrastructure for Future Federal “School Choice” Program
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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A federal program that could provide $5 billion dollars to private schools across the country hasn’t received the ok from congress yet. But that’s not stopping at least one state senator from introducing a bill to draw down those dollars when and if the program is approved. Republican Sen. Matt Huffman has long supported charter… Read More

Sponsor of Closed Online School ECOT to Repay State $879,000
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The sponsor of a huge online charter school that abruptly closed in Ohio has agreed to repay the state $879,000. The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow closed in January 2018 after the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West suspended its sponsorship. Attorney General Dave Yost says the repayment represents the amount… Read More

Study: For-Profit Charter Operators Spend Lots More On Admin Than Traditional Schools
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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Ohio’s charter schools are by law non-profit, but nearly 200 of them are managed by for-profit operating companies. And a new study by an anti-charter school group says charters run by for-profit operators spend a lot more money on non-classroom costs than traditional public schools do. Steven Dyer with the research group Know Your Charter looked… Read More

Judge Blocks Schools From Ohio Suit Against E-school Founder
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – A judge won’t let school districts intervene in Ohio’s civil case seeking to recoup millions of dollars in public funding from leaders of a now-defunct online charter school. Eight districts, including Dayton and Toledo, sought to be part of the case involving founder William Lager and officials from the massive Electronic… Read More

School Choice Advocates Look To Lawmakers For Facility Funding Boost
By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
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Charter school advocates are calling on lawmakers to bump up their funding for facilities. They say the money now going to charters falls well below what they need. But critics say more changes should be made before a funding increase. Supporters of charter schools argue that parents and students should have the ability to make their… Read More

Do Charter Schools In Ohio Need More State Dollars?
By: Jo Ingles | Statehouse News Bureau
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A new study by advocates for school choice shows charter schools in urban areas are underfunded. The group is making the case at the same time Gov. Mike DeWine and lawmakers are coming up with a new two-year state budget. Chad Aldis with the Fordham Institute said the study found the state is not funding… Read More

Auditor Recommends Changes To How State Funds Online Schools
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – As lawmakers consider changing how Ohio funds online charter schools, the state auditor recommends they consider models factoring in student performance or testing. Ohio’s traditional school funding is enrollment-based, but e-school funding in recent years has been calculated using documented student participation. In a report released Thursday, Republican Auditor Dave Yost’s… Read More

Ohio Lawmakers Look To Provide Online Academy ‘Safe Harbor’
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s Republican-led Legislature is preparing to temporarily relax academic performance standards on a virtual school that took in thousands of students from a now-shuttered competitor. The House Education Committee folded “safe harbor” protections for the Toledo-based Ohio Virtual Academy into a separate bill Tuesday and sent them for a full House… Read More

New Speaker Promises Study Group On Funding Online Charters
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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The new Speaker of the Ohio House is citing a two-year-old study from a pro-charter school group slamming the performance of virtual charter schools. And there may be changes coming in the laws that govern those online schools following the ECOT scandal. In his first sit-down with reporters, Speaker Ryan Smith said a new bill… Read More

Updated Charter School Regulations Clear Ohio House
By: Associated Press
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The Ohio House has approved a bill cracking down on low-performing Ohio charter schools and imposing a host of new accountability standards on sponsors. The legislation cleared the chamber in a 70-25 vote Thursday. It heads next to the Ohio Senate. It calls for additional financial, enrollment and attendance reporting from charter school sponsors and… Read More

House Panel OKs New Charter School Regulations
By: Associated Press
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A bill cracking down on low-performing Ohio charter schools and imposing a host of new accountability standards on sponsors has cleared its first legislative hurdle. After extensive debate and several rounds of revisions, the Ohio House Education Committee approved the bill 13-6 Wednesday. A House vote could come Thursday. The legislation requires additional financial, enrollment… Read More

Ohio Online Charter School Spent More Than $2.27M On Ads
By: Associated Press
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Ohio’s largest online charter school reported at least $2.27 million spent last school year on advertising to attract students. The Columbus Dispatch reports that’s about 2 percent of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow’s revenue for the school year, which was $112.7 million. About 90 percent of that revenue was funded by the state. The charter… Read More