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Shuttered Charter School Still Owes $195K to State

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Columbus – A former charter school located in Scioto County never repaid $195,000 it received from the state due to inflated student attendance data, according to an audit released today. 

The Southern Ohio Academy closed in September 2017 after its sponsor, the Scioto County Career Technical Center, declined to renew its sponsorship agreement. The academy had operated in New Boston since 2012.  

A full-time equivalency (FTE) review by the Ohio Department of Education found the academy overstated its attendance data during fiscal year 2017, resulting in overpayments totaling $195,621 from the state. The academy has yet to repay the money to ODE. 

State auditors today issued a finding for recovery against the academy, ordering it to repay the full amount. However, auditors also noted that the academy’s debts exceed the remaining amount of cash it has on hand. 

The full audit report is available online

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Beth Gianforcaro
Press Secretary
614-644-1111