Charter-school pioneer bows out

run schools into Ohio two decades ago.

Once synonymous with political power and influence, White Hat has seen its reputation sink after years of low test scores and soaring high school dropout rates. Since 2014, the company has steadily lost its edge in Ohio’s increasingly competitive schoolchoice market.

With parents now sending their kids, and the state funding that comes with them, to better-rated educational options, White Hat has rapidly divested itself of school-management contracts. The selling accelerated when school boards began ditching the company for operators that are more transparent.

By June, White Hat’s once prolific presence in Ohio had shriveled to a single online school — Ohio Distance and Learning Academy (ODELA) — and 10 “Life Skills” centers, which deliver computerbased GED courses to academically faltering teens and young adults.

Virginia-based Accel Schools, which is amassing an education empire, has bought out the contract for ODELA.

Utah-based Fusion Education Group (FusionED) is taking over contracts for seven of the Life Skills centers.

Life Skills Northeast Ohio in Cleveland has hired Oakmont Education, a company associated with Cambridge Education Group.

White Hat could find no buyer for another center in Cleveland and one in Youngstown; both are closing.