Fundies Rush to get money

[jdadd]

Article published Jun 6, 2006
District taking last-second transfers 'under protest'
By Lisa Miller
News Journal
MANSFIELD -- Pending a legal review, Mansfield City Schools are enrolling private school students under protest.
Board member Jill Haring said at Monday's board meeting that some parents are taking advantage of an apparent "loophole" that allows them to enroll their children in public school for as little as one day with the hope of getting their private school tuition paid by the state next fall.

Under the new Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Program, any child enrolled in a school that has been on state-designated Academic Emergency or Academic Watch status for three consecutive years is eligible to transfer to a private or parochial school at state expense.

Four city schools -- Malabar and Simpson middle schools and Brinkerhoff and Sherman elementaries -- are in the sub-academic performance category and have been hit with a wave of the unexpected, last-minute transfers.

The state will offer 14,000 EdChoice scholarships for 2006-07; if the number of eligible applicants exceeds that number, scholarships will be awarded by lottery.

A letter from Barbara Gopp, Superintendent Scott Gordon's secretary, contains advice for principals from district attorney Jim Burns. He advised schools to enroll the children, but hold the registration information "under protest." The letter states, "We are a public school system and we cannot refuse to enroll a student, unless it is being done with illegal intentions."

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060606/NEWS01/606060311&SearchID=73246927254335&template=printart