Ohio struggles to enforce anti-dropout law

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio has a tough time enforcing an anti-dropout law that President Barack Obama would like every state to have.

In his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, the president challenged state governments to require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18.

Ohio is among 20 states that already do this. But at least 23,000 Ohio teens still dropped out during the last school year, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Mindy Farry with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio says it can be difficult to find students who leave. She says it’s hard to know where to start looking.

Columbus schools Superintendent Gene Harris says districts need money for online classes and other measures that can engage students likely to drop out.