COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Lawmakers are hoping to expedite a bill that would require schools to transfer student transcripts within five days.
This comes after the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) abruptly closed last week. The state and courts have ordered ECOT to repay the State $60 million for overstating its enrollment. The school’s appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court is scheduled to be heard next month.
Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) said current law states that school transcripts must be transferred “immediately”, but it doesn’t specify a definite number of days.
She hopes House Bill 418 will change that.
“I know that House Bill 418 will make a difference with our families because it will put that five-day requirement on the sending school to transfer those records,” said Rep. Galonski.
Rep. Galonski said she is a former magistrate for Summit County Juvenile Court.
“In my experience…if you don’t make an affirmative statement again in the law as the legislation does, then some schools including ECOT could take as much as an entire school year before transferring records,” she said.
So far, parents and student have not reported issues with transferring their transcripts.
“With the closure of ECOT we need some demands,” said Rep. Galonski. “We need action steps in place to make sure that our families don’t just languish.”
Melissa Phillips has two daughters that were enrolled at ECOT. They’re one of the thousands of families looking for a new school.
“We’re very devastated,” said Phillips. “All of a sudden we got a notice that they’re closing down. What do you mean closing down?
Phillips said she’s hoping to enroll her kids in a new online charter school this week.
“To me it’s like the school boards and everything just don’t care,” she said. “It’s about money and that’s not the way it should be.”