The battle between the state and its largest online charter school brought supporters of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, or , to the Statehouse. The crowd of hundreds of students, parents and teachers also included a well-known but rarely seen figure.
The crowd cheered loudly for Bill Lager, who rarely makes public appearances. Lager, who鈥檚 donated millions to mostly Republican lawmakers and candidates, said he created to help kids who are . And he said every family in Ohio has a child in their lives who wants an education outside of a traditional public school.
鈥漈hat鈥檚 what ECOT is. That鈥檚 what ECOT always will be.鈥�
ECOT is fighting a judge鈥檚 ruling it claimed but couldn鈥檛 prove. The school says it鈥檚 complied with state law but that the Ohio Department of Education has changed its rules on counting students.
