Dive Brief:

• Ohio State Rep. Teresa Fedor wants answers from the state Superintendent Richard Ross about allegations that Ohio Virtual Academy collected per pupil dollars for hundreds of chronically truant students it kept on its books.
• The accusations follow an anonymous email Fedor received with a spreadsheet tracking the names of 402 students who were allegedly truant for seven months.
• Ohio Virtual Academy maintains that it followed attendance-tracking guidelines and all state reporting laws.

Dive Insight:

Let's just suppose the claim in the email is true. Per Ohio Virtual Academy's response, it followed state reporting laws. This doesn't necessarily mean the school wasn't in the wrong or did something questionable, but that state law permitted it. Ultimately, Fedor is correct for asking the state board of education to come forward and be held accountable, as it should ensure education funds are being used properly. The idea of money going to a for-profit company for students who aren't even in school is troubling.