Cincinnati Public Schools says it cannot independently verify whether testing irregularities occurred at one of its buildings because the state has not shared enough data.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) flagged George Hays-Jennie Porter School and six Hamilton County charter schools as part of a statewide investigation into testing anomalies at 52 school buildings, WCPO reported Sept. 9. The state is reviewing 38 of the 256 tests administered to Hays-Porter students during spring 2026 exams.

CPS said in a statement that the information ODEW provided does not include student-level data the district needs to determine whether anomalies actually occurred. The district called any conclusions about Hays-Porter, its students or its educators premature and said it expects the same transparency from the state that ODEW demands from school districts.

That gap in data lands less than two months before east-side CPS families vote on a five-year, 7-mill property tax levy on Nov. 3. The levy would generate roughly $66 million a year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $245 annually. Without it, the district projects a negative cash balance of $30.6 million by 2029, according to Yahoo News reporting on the levy.

CPS Board Vice President Kareem Moncree-Moffett raised credibility concerns at the July 27 board meeting when the levy was first placed on the ballot. "We have not provided the public with a sufficiently specific measurable plan explaining how levy proceeds will be allocated," Moncree-Moffett said at the time. The board later switched from an earned income tax to the property tax in early August.

Hays-Porter is the only CPS building among the seven flagged Greater Cincinnati schools. The other six are charter schools: Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy, Cincinnati Technology Academy, Northside Preparatory Academy, Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy, Mt. Healthy Preparatory and Fitness Academy and ReGeneration Schools Avondale Elementary.

Three charter school leaders provided on-record responses. Jamie Brady, superintendent overseeing Cincinnati and Dayton schools for Accel Schools, said Northside Preparatory Academy is participating in the review with legal counsel and working to understand the data ODEW provided. Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy Superintendent Guyton Mathews said the school has "full confidence" its procedures meet state requirements. Caleb Hausman of ReGeneration Schools said the organization has no concerns about its prior testing practices and is cooperating.

Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy declined to comment. Cincinnati Technology Academy and Mt. Healthy Preparatory had not responded as of the Sept. 9 WCPO report.

The investigation began in July after Columbus City Schools self-reported that two high schools invalidated spring test scores in all subjects. ODEW then directed its testing vendor, Cambium Assessment, to review spring 2026 data statewide. According to Dayton Daily News reporting, ODEW Director Steve Dackin described four statistical indicators used to flag tests: unusually high wrong-to-right answer changes, student answers inconsistent with estimated ability, large year-over-year score jumps and abnormal test completion times. A test is flagged when it falls three or more standard deviations from the average.

Schools whose results remain under review will carry an asterisk on their Ohio report cards, according to WKYC reporting. ODEW has not said what other consequences flagged schools could face.

Schools have until Sept. 18, to submit additional information. After that, the state could clear a school, request more data or refer the case for further investigation.