Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Study Shows How Much State Dollars Public Schools Lost To ECOT

innovationohio.org

A progressive-leaning think tank says data from the Ohio Department of Education's website shows not only how much state money went to the now-closed Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, but how much traditional public school districts lost to what was the state's largest online charter school operator. 

Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.

Innovation Ohio notes local school districts have to pay charter schools for each of the district’s students enrolled in those charters. That added up to $591 million just to ECOT over six years, including around a half a million dollars from Federal Hocking Local in Athens County, where George Wood is the superintendent.

“It’s a teacher and an aide. It’s three times what we spend on textbooks. It’s a new bus every year. And it all went to a school district that didn’t exist called ECOT.”

Some districts say they’ve had to turn to levies to make up the losses. Innovation Ohio says all but six of Ohio’s 613 districts lost money and kids to ECOT. The closed school is still fighting in court over $80 million in payments the state says it should repay for inflating attendance, which ECOT disputes.

The Statehouse News Bureau was founded in 1980 to provide educational, comprehensive coverage of legislation, elections, issues and other activities surrounding the Statehouse to Ohio's public radio and television stations. To this day, the Bureau remains the only broadcast outlet dedicated to in-depth coverage of state government news and topics of statewide interest. The Bureau is funded througheTech Ohio, and is managed by ideastream. The reporters at the Bureau follow the concerns of the citizens and voters of Ohio, as well as the actions of the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other elected officials. We strive to cover statehouse news, government issues, Ohio politics, and concerns of business, culture and the arts with balance and fairness, and work to present diverse voices and points of view from the Statehouse and throughout Ohio. The three award-winning journalists at the bureau have more than 60 combined years of radio and television experience. They can be heard on National Public Radio and are regular contributors to Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Marketplace. Every weekday, the Statehouse News Bureau produces in-depth news reports forOhio's public radio stations. Those stories are also available on this website, either on the front page or in our archives. Weekly, the Statehouse News Bureau produces a television show from our studios in the Statehouse. The State of Ohio is an unique blend of news, interviews, talk and analysis, and is broadcast on Ohio's public television stations. The Statehouse News Bureau also produces special programming throughout the year, including the Governor's annual State of the State address to the Ohio General Assembly and a five-part year-end review.
Related Content