NWOCSC questions TPS letter

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo charter school parents believe Toledo Public Schools is trying to increase their dwindling enrollment numbers by sending them a threatening letter.

Many parents of children attending charter schools, like Maritime Academy near downtown, that once attended TPS, received a letter threatening to call Lucas County Children Services on the parents if they did not call or attend an attendance hearing.

The charter school parents that received the letter said their children have been out of the school district for years and they can’t understand why they are receiving these now.

"I can't understand they've lost track of my oldest daughter for three years and now they want to know where she's at," said Jennifer Millat, who's daughter is a sixth grader at Maritime Academy.

Millat said she received a letter from TPS requesting her presence at an attendance hearing alleging her daughter was not enrolled in school.

The body of the letter states that administrators with Lucas County Juvenile Court and the Lucas County Children Services Bureau will be contacted if they do not call or attend the hearing.

"I was just scared that they would take other actions," Millat said.

Across the Maumee River at Eagle Academy Elementary charter school on Consaul Street, formerly St. Stephen's School, panicked parents brought their letters into Principal Mitchell Bean.

"one parent came up very frantic and worried about receiving the letter and what's going to happen to her," Bean said. "We immediately calmed her down and let her know you're not doing anything wrong, you're fine, your child is in school."

Bean has not seen a letter like this in past years and parents believe this could be a scare tactic to get TPS' enrollment up.

Superintendent John Foley said the district sends these letters out yearly and they are not meant to be a threat. The school district is required to determine the status of all students under the Ohio Revised Code.

If you are a parent who has received a letter like this and your child is enrolled in a school. There is a phone number you can call listed on the letter to let them know where your child is going to school.

Even though that is a quick way to fix the problem the Northwest Ohio Charter School Coalition has launched an investigation into these alleged threatening letters.