Tuesday, October 13th, 2026

Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.

On this day in 1932, President Herbert Hoover laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Top of the Fold: Ohio’s swing-state status faces a test as Election Day nears, and three are indicted in an alleged $20 million Eastern Gateway scheme.

And which Ohio districts’ graduates most often need remedial college classes, plus how parents can claim their child’s new Trump Account.

CINCINNATI — Ohio was once a top political battleground, but Republicans have dominated statewide races for a decade. 

A recent Marist Poll shows Democrats ahead in races for governor and U.S. Senate, though other polls show tighter contests.

University of Cincinnati professor David Niven said the result may hinge on whether voters focus on their pocketbooks or demographic trends favoring Republicans. 

Early voting is underway, and Election Day is Nov. 3. For more on this story, go here.

STEUBENVILLE — Three people, including former Eastern Gateway Community College President Michael Geoghegan, have been indicted in an alleged scheme that diverted about $20 million in federal financial aid and state subsidies from the now-closed college. 

Michael Perik and Nicole Rowe Colclasure, who ran college contractor Student Resource Center, also face racketeering and theft charges. 

State Auditor Keith Faber said some students may not know Pell grants were taken out in their names.

 This story continues here.

COLUMBUS — Nearly 1 in 4 Ohio students, 23.7%, were chronically absent last school year, down from 30.2% in 2021-22 but above the 16.7% pre-pandemic rate. 

Chronically absent students miss at least 10% of school hours, and each missed day costs about 2.5 days of math learning. 

Garfield Heights had the highest rate at 61.9%, and Columbus City Schools was at 53.8%. 

Recovery to pre-pandemic levels could take five to 10 years, an Ohio State researcher said. 

You can read more on this report here.

By The Pennant Staff

COLUMBUS — Six in 10 Columbus City Schools graduates who went on to an Ohio public college needed remedial classes in their first year, the highest rate among the state’s largest districts, according to the most recent state data.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education tracked 2024 high school graduates who enrolled at a public college or university in Ohio. Students who need remedial classes must take courses that don’t count toward a degree before moving on to college-level work. The state publishes the figures each year by district and high school.

Statewide, about 14% of the nearly 42,000 graduates in the data needed at least one remedial class. Math was the bigger hurdle: about 12% needed remedial math, compared with roughly 5% in English.

Suburban districts posted the lowest rates. Among districts sending at least 200 graduates to Ohio public colleges, Perrysburg had the lowest at under 2%, followed by Anthony Wayne at 2%, Springboro at 4% and Mason at 5%. Olentangy led central Ohio at about 10%, while Dublin was at 13% and Worthington at 14%.

At the other end, Columbus City Schools’ rate was 61%. Of 805 Columbus graduates in the data, nearly 490 took a remedial course. Akron followed at 38%, and South-Western, which serves Grove City and nearby communities, was at 32%.

Other big-city districts varied widely. Cleveland’s rate was 30%, Dayton’s 18%, Cincinnati’s 15%, and Toledo’s 12%.

The figures include only students who enrolled at Ohio public colleges and universities. Graduates who went to private or out-of-state schools are not counted, which can affect districts that send many students elsewhere.

WASHINGTON — Every eligible child in Ohio now has a Trump Account, but parents must take one more step before the money can start flowing.

The Treasury Department said Oct. 1 it had automatically enrolled more than 60 million children nationwide in the investment accounts, which were created by last year’s federal tax law. Including about 10 million children whose parents signed up earlier, roughly 70 million are now enrolled.

Any U.S. citizen under 18 with a valid Social Security number qualifies. A parent or guardian must claim the account through the official Trump Accounts app by verifying their identity and their relationship to the child.

Children born from 2025 through 2028 receive a one-time $1,000 government deposit once the account is claimed. Some children born from 2016 through 2024 can receive $250 from Michael and Susan Dell, depending on where they live. Family, friends, and employers can contribute up to $5,000 a year.

The money is invested in U.S. stock index funds. Children can’t withdraw it until they turn 18, when traditional IRA rules take over. Withdrawals before age 59½ generally face taxes and a 10% penalty, with exceptions such as education costs and a first home.

Supporters say the accounts give children an early start on building wealth. Researchers note that participation has been harder to achieve among lower-income families when the accounts require parents to take action.

For more information, go here.

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