Charters need more oversight

Columbus Dispatch: With at least two bills in the General Assembly and provisions in Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal, Ohio’s leaders are taking steps to strengthen the weak charter-school laws and regulations that have allowed substandard schools to open and stay open far too long.

Fundamental, structural reforms are critical, but state regulators also need better tools to detect and prevent day-to-day mistakes, confusion or outright cheating.

With the surfacing of an Ohio Department of Education spreadsheet that appears to show that an online school, the Ohio Virtual Academy, continues to collect per-pupil state funding for 388 students who have asked to be withdrawn, House leaders are right to call for an investigation.

Ohio Virtual Academy maintains that it is working with the spreadsheet students to resolve truancy issues and that it welcomes an audit by Yost.

Given the immense potential for fraud and waste, taxpayers should, too.