State Auditor warning school districts about pitfalls of open enrollment

The state’s auditor is sending a message to all of Ohio’s school districts to beware of the pitfalls that can come with open enrollment, which can cost schools up to $1 million. When a student decides to leave one school district and enroll in another, state funding follows the student to the new district. But state auditor Dave Yost says his office found that some districts over-extend their open enrollment by taking in too many students and therefore needing to invest in more resources. For example, Yost says Coventry Local School District in the suburbs of Akron could save $1.6 million by reducing open enrollment, which right now makes up 37% of its roster.