http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/39261
After learning that dozens of Ohio's "dropout recovery" schools receive funding for thousands of habitually absent students, Governor Ted Strickland, several key state lawmakers, and the Ohio Board of Education are calling for legislation placing all public charter schools under state authority. According to a Scripps Howard News Service report, one-half of the registered dropout recovery students never show up for class at some of the schools. Absenteeism at one Cincinnati campus averaged 64 percent during the 2004-2005 school year, the worst for any charter program in the nation. Ohio state law requires public schools to have fewer than seven percent absenteeism. "The board has recommended it have oversight over all community schools sponsors," said Ohio Department of Education spokesman Scott Blake. "But the sponsors that were in place prior to April 2003 are subject to a grandfather provision." That means that the state has had limited authority over schools established before 2003. Reform legislation is likely to gain more support as the Democrats take control of the state House in 2009.
Source: Scripps News
Date: 12/21/2008
Note: Please be aware that online publishers often change URLs or no longer provide access to articles after 7 days. If the above link no longer works, access the publishing newspaper and search the archives for the keywords in the subject matter. Good luck.
