State Auditor Dave Yost announced on Thursday a new hotline for all Columbus City Schools employees to report information about the potential manipulation of attendance records.

School officials said in June that staff members found inconsistencies in its data related to students who were listed as truant. Superintendent Gene Harris said that the irregularities were found in attendance reporting.

Harris said that without a report from the State Auditor’s Office, there was no indication that school attendance information was manipulated in an attempt to cheat.

According to the auditor’s office, the purpose of the hotline is to establish a secure message of reporting information without fear of reprisal.
Calls can be anonymous.

“We need your help,” Yost said in a statement. “Some employees may have doubts about how to report what they know or who to report it to, and they may even feel insecure about reporting at all. If you have knowledge of improper or doubtful reporting practices, the right thing to do is to tell us. Think of this as the truth line, and help us get to the truth of attendance reporting.”

The temporary Columbus City Schools Attendance Reporting Hotline number is 855-554-1555.

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