Four charter schools in Ohio may be forced to close after state education officials suspended their charters because of inadequate student performance.
The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of School Sponsorship sent notices of "intent to suspend” to Imagine on Superior Academy in Canton; Villaview Community School in Cleveland; Imagine Cleveland Academy; and Cleveland Community School.
The governing authorities of the schools have five days from receipt of the notice to propose a remedy to the shortcomings. Failure to provide a sufficient remedy may result in school closure.
All for schools had been sponsored by the Portage County Educational Service Center (ESC). In April, when it became clear that the Portage County ESC would be closing at the end of the school year, the state assumed sponsorship of those schools.
“It’s our job to ensure that charter schools are providing a quality education to the students and are operating according to the law,” says State Superintendent Richard A. Ross. “Our Office of School Sponsorship stepped in to make sure that all of the schools previously sponsored by the Portage County ESC remain a viable option for boys and girls. Because these four schools do not meet the academic requirements, they will no longer be an educational option.”
The notices sent to the schools indicate call for suspending their charters for “failure to meet student performance requirements.” Two of the schools — Villaview Community School and Cleveland Community School — also were in violation of state and federal laws related to the provision of special education services.
