Local schools lost millions to ECOT

SANDUSKY — Schools across the Sandusky area lost about $6.5 million in state money over the last six years to fund Ohio's failed online charter school, according to a recent report.Innovation Ohio, a policy think tank, detailed how much money was charged back to each district to fund ECOT, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow. Data from the state shows ECOT received $590 million in taxpayer money since 2012 that otherwise would have gone to public school districts.But the online charter school's classes ended earlier this year after ECOT's sponsor, the Education Service Center of Lake Erie West, voted in January to shut down operations citing financial woes.The state money was channeled the same way all charter schools in Ohio are funded, from the home districts where ECOT students reside; 607 of Ohio's 688 school districts lost funding. Sandusky Schools, the largest district in Erie County, lost $1.5 million in state funds, while the Put-in-Bay Schools, the area's smallest district, didn't lose any. After ECOT shut down, more than 50 students in Erie County and thousands more across the state were displaced, according to data from the Ohio School Boards Association.The financial hit Huron Schools took was more than $275,000.Huron Schools superintendent Dennis Muratori"The loss of over $275,000 to our general fund has a direct impact on students and available programming opportunities," district superintendent Dennis Muratori said. "Curricular supplies to support quality instruction, including technology related hardware and software are items supported by general fund dollars."Muratori said the amount lost to ECOT would have funded about six or seven early career teachers."This is staffing the district could utilize to reduce class size, provide remedial supports for at-risk students and increase innovative programming such as more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) designed courses."Here's a look a how much money local districts have lost to ECOT from the 2012-2013 school year to January 2018. Note: Numbers have been rounded. Total: About $6.5 million • Sandusky Schools: $1.5 million• Norwalk Schools: $1 million• Fremont Schools: $745,100• Vermilion Schools: $589,800• Bellevue Schools: $422,700• Port Clinton Schools: $400,900• Clyde-Green Springs Schools: $338,000• Perkins Schools: $328,600• Edison Schools: $327,300• Huron Schools: $275,400• Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools: $222,100• Margaretta Schools: $158,500• Danbury Schools: $101,700• Monroeville Schools: $99,300• Put-In-Bay School: $0Source: Ohio Department of EducationReach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodOhio Department of Education data shows how much state money was siphoned from public schools in the Sandusky area from 2012 until January 2018 to fund the failed charter school ECOT.