The Ohio Board of Education has voted to recoup more than $19 million in overpayments to the state’s largest online public charter school, which closed its doors last month.
The board voted 15-0 today directing the state Department of Education to take whatever measures necessary to recover the funds from ECOT—the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow—for the 2016-2017 school year.
Board member Nick Owens says ECOT should have tracked students’ hourly participation and not just enrollment numbers.
“It is clear that ECOT did not provide proper documentation of student participation for the 2016-2017 school year. This is the second year in a row."
The state education department had previously reduced funding for ECOT after the state found it had also overpaid the school for the 2015-2016 school year. The funding cuts led the school to close in January. ECOT is contesting the reduced payments and final arguments in the case will be heard by the Ohio Supreme Court tomorrow.
