St. Louis school is accused of inflating attendance

[proud2BlibKansan]

ST. LOUIS • The Missouri auditor's office is investigating 'serious allegations" of inflated attendance and enrollment records at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy, an elementary school in the St. Louis district that has been praised for sustained improvements.

Auditor Thomas Schweich's office served subpoenas Monday to school district officials, ordering them to produce records and testimony about the allegations. While Schweich's office did not name a specific school, the Post-Dispatch has confirmed through teachers — including one who said he reported the matter to the auditor — that the focus is on Patrick Henry.

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But Ryan Smith, a sixth-grade teacher at Patrick Henry, said he noted irregularities between what he saw in the classroom and the official attendance records and decided to contact the state auditor.

He said he knows of at least 15 students who were on the books but never set foot in the classroom, or had transferred at least three months earlier.

"Even to the district we lie," said Smith, who is completing his second and final year at the school through the Teach for America program. "The numbers are so inaccurate it's not funny."

more . . . http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/article_c7f0b709-ef0f-556a-8cff-3029fc9b710b.html

[udbcrzy2]

1. I know this is true

I live in a different county, but know many students who have minor disabilities. Some of those students just drop out and never go back, but they are still on the rolls. Why? Because if they stay on the rolls then the school can still get the special education funding.