A long-time charter school critic says the federal government has put nearly $30 million into charter schools that have closed or never opened in the first place.
A report from Innovation Ohio’s Know Your Charter says a state panel that distributed the millions of dollars was made up of members from different charter schools that ended up getting the funds.
Know Your Charter’s Steve Dyer says improving this system must be a team effort.
“The feds need to exercise oversight to ensure that the state does not set up this self-serving group of people who’re deciding who gets the money.”
The Ohio Department of Education issued a response saying that there is now more accountability in the charter school system thanks to laws passed last year.
The state has been awarded a new pot of funds from the feds totaling about $71 million. But restrictions were put on distribution of the money after the top state official who oversaw charters admitted he had had omitted the poor performance from some charters from his reports.
