Ohio auditor comments on charter-school attendance
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
More students were in classrooms at charter schools during surprise visits from auditors late last year compared with similar attendance checks two years ago, according to a report released Monday.
But locations that focus on students who have dropped out of school continued to see higher absentee rates during the most recent count. And Republican state Auditor Dave Yost referred three schools, including a location in Columbiana County, to state education officials for further investigation after his office determined the charters were operating improperly.
The report includes a number of recommendations to be considered by lawmakers.
“Charter schools play an important role in Ohio’s education system,” Yost said in a released statement. “And we need to improve the accountability and transparency within those schools so we can have complete confidence that our children are getting the education they deserve.”
Yost’s office conducted an attendance audit at a selection of charter schools in October 2014. More than half of the 30 schools involved had fewer students on site during the unannounced visits than they reported to the state, and seven (23 percent) were considered “severely below” the state reports.
During the second audit, conducted in November, only three of 44 community schools (7 percent) had counts that were “severely below” what they reported to the state.
“To go from 23 percent that were highly problematic to 7 percent is a substantial gain and I think indicative of the fact that the community schools as a whole probably paid attention to that first report and took steps to make sure that they did better,” Yost said.
But three charters, including the Utica Shale Academy of Ohio in Columbiana County, were found to be operating improperly as nonclassroom-based correspondence schools or E-schools. At the Utica Shale Academy, auditors counted 20 of 70 students on site.
“All three of these schools were operating at variance with their contracts, [with] some form of distance learning or blended learning” Yost said. “… They’re being referred because the operation does not conform with Ohio law….”
Charters categorized as dropout recovery or prevention schools had the lowest overall attendance rates.
At the Academy of Urban Scholars Youngstown, for example, there were 61 of 147 students in classrooms when auditors visited. At the Life Skills Center of Youngstown, there were 44 of 83. At River Gate High School in Trumbull County, there were 65 of 132 students.
At STEAM Academy Warren in Trumbull, 188 of 242 students were in attendance.
All but one of the nondropout recovery schools had attendance rates ranging from 73 percent-99.9 percent.