"On Thursday when the ODE (Ohio Department of Education) turned down the latest offer of restructured payments by ECOT school, they all but set in motion the immediate closure of the online institution ECOT schools. In doing so, they put in jeopardy the 12,000 students currently enrolled in the school. The magnitude of this decision is equivalent to a major Ohio school district being forced to close in the middle of the school year. State superintendent Paolo DeMaria and his administration had no contingency plan for these students. Parents and students are now scrambling to find other schools to enter, including the 2,287 seniors. This crisis could have been averted by the ODE and the Kasich administration. Their failure to provide a workable solution that would have at least finished the school year for ECOT and its students, is in our opinion gross incompetence and negligent. We would hope that this decision was not made for political purposes. That would be unconscionable as it is affecting so many school children who depend on this online Ohio school for their continuing education. We would hope that the legislature would act quickly to remedy this situation."

We agree with the following Statement by State Representative Andrew Brenner Chairman, Ohio House Education & Career Readiness Committee.
"This could have been avoided had the department of education set up a payment plan that would have allowed the students to finish the school year at ECOT. I warned the Department of this months ago, so their lack of consideration makes me concerned about the long-term ramifications of School choice in Ohio. Since ECOT is now closing the Ohio Department of Education has the responsibility to make sure all 12,000 kids are quickly and properly placed into alternative situations."

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