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Audit Finds Hints of Nepotism, Self-Dealing At Charter School

The state auditor has referred a Columbus-area charter school for an ethics investigation after allegedly finding nepotism and self-serving deals. 

Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow reports.

The owners of the management company for the A+ Children’s Academy hired their own daughter to be the superintendent and their son for music education consulting. That’s according to the report from Auditor Dave Yost.

Yost also found that the school’s management company bought the school lunches from another company they also own.

“The management company owner, Ron Sams, also has signatory authority for the school’s checkbook not the management company’s checkbook so this is all tangled up,” said Yost.

Yost said this is an example for why lawmakers need to pass a bill, currently sitting in the House, that would strengthen charter regulations. Officials from the school and the management company could not be reached for comment.

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