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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) made the following statement today in response to the State Board of Accounts audit finding two virtual schools defrauded taxpayers:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jesse Cordray, Press Secretary
Jesse.Cordray@iga.in.gov

317-232-9498

Statement from State Sen. Jeff Raatz

State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) made the following statement today in response to the State Board of Accounts audit
finding two virtual schools defrauded taxpayers:

STATEHOUSE (Feb. 19, 2020) – “We have known for over a year about the massive problems at these two virtual schools, but the newly released audit report shows the issues were even worse than previously thought.

“In 2019, lawmakers passed Senate Enrolled Act 567, which addressed initial concerns the General Assembly had with Daleville Community Schools and its oversight of the two virtual schools. While SEA 567 set some good guardrails, as virtual learning continues to advance, we know that other measures will be required.

“There are bad actors who take advantage of the law in all industries, and I hope to see justice served in this case. I don’t believe this specific incident is representative of all charter schools. Not every student excels with traditional classroom instruction – some require a different environment to shine.

“As chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, I remain a fierce advocate for innovative policies that improve education in our state. I will remain actively engaged in ongoing conversations on how we, as a state, can best prevent this incident from occurring again.”

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For a high-resolution photo of State Sen. Raatz, click here.