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Secret probe points to widespread enrollment fraud at acclaimed D.C. high school
Retweeted by David Fahrenthold: https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold
Secret probe points to widespread enrollment fraud at acclaimed D.C. high school
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Secret probe points to widespread enrollment fraud at acclaimed D.C. high school
By Peter Jamison, Valerie Strauss and Perry Stein February 27 at 2:23 PM Email the author
An investigation by D.C. officials has uncovered signs of widespread enrollment fraud at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a nationally recognized incubator of theatrical talent and one of the city’s most revered public schools, according to current and former District government officials with knowledge of the probe.
A preliminary spot check of the records of roughly 100 students whose families claimed D.C. residency — thus avoiding the annual tuition of more than $12,000 charged to nonresident students — found that more than half may live outside the city, the two officials said.
That finding was shared in December at a meeting attended by representatives from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education — which was managing the investigation — and Office of the Attorney General, the officials said. ... Shortly after that, a lawyer in the state superintendent’s office told those handling the case in that office to slow-track it because of the risk of negative publicity for the school system during a mayoral election year. It is unclear how far the probe has progressed since then.
About 70 of Ellington’s 566 students are on record as living outside the District, and their families pay tuition to the school system. The probe currently underway is focused not on those students but on the majority who claim to be D.C. residents.
....
Emma Brown contributed to this report.
Peter Jamison writes about politics and government in the District. Before joining The Washington Post, he worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Tampa Bay Times. Follow @petejamison
Valerie Strauss covers education and runs The Answer Sheet blog. Follow @valeriestrauss
Perry Stein covers D.C education for The Washington Post. Follow @perrystein
By Peter Jamison, Valerie Strauss and Perry Stein February 27 at 2:23 PM Email the author
An investigation by D.C. officials has uncovered signs of widespread enrollment fraud at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a nationally recognized incubator of theatrical talent and one of the city’s most revered public schools, according to current and former District government officials with knowledge of the probe.
A preliminary spot check of the records of roughly 100 students whose families claimed D.C. residency — thus avoiding the annual tuition of more than $12,000 charged to nonresident students — found that more than half may live outside the city, the two officials said.
That finding was shared in December at a meeting attended by representatives from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education — which was managing the investigation — and Office of the Attorney General, the officials said. ... Shortly after that, a lawyer in the state superintendent’s office told those handling the case in that office to slow-track it because of the risk of negative publicity for the school system during a mayoral election year. It is unclear how far the probe has progressed since then.
About 70 of Ellington’s 566 students are on record as living outside the District, and their families pay tuition to the school system. The probe currently underway is focused not on those students but on the majority who claim to be D.C. residents.
....
Emma Brown contributed to this report.
Peter Jamison writes about politics and government in the District. Before joining The Washington Post, he worked at the Los Angeles Times and the Tampa Bay Times. Follow @petejamison
Valerie Strauss covers education and runs The Answer Sheet blog. Follow @valeriestrauss
Perry Stein covers D.C education for The Washington Post. Follow @perrystein
