TAXPAYERS SPEND MILLIONS ON ABSENT STUDENTS

GHOST-SCHOOLS (Hargrove and Off, SHNS) -- Taxpayers pay millions of dollars each month to educate tens of thousands of high school students who never show up for class, part of a growing trend of absenteeism at privately operated schools. For-profit companies across the country get paid even if the desks are empty. A Scripps Howard News Service special investigation. 2,000. With photos: SH08J225GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J226GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J227GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J228GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J229GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J230GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J231GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J232GHOSTSCHOOLS
           
GHOST-COLUMBUS (Hargrove, SHNS) -- COLUMBUS, Ohio: Teen-agers line up every weekday in front of a cocktail lounge, an adult bookstore and strip club. Time for high school. An inside look at a "drop-out recovery" school where most of the enrolled students are absent. 600. With photos: SH08J221GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J222GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J223GHOSTSCHOOLS, SH08J224GHOSTSCHOOLS
           
GHOST-LAWS (Hargrove, SHNS) -- States have tried varying reforms to stop truancy and dropouts. As a result, policies vary wildly. 300           

GHOST-STATEMENT - (SHNS) -- White Hat Management responds to our questions about absenteeism at its Life Skills Centers. 500.
           
GHOST-POLL (Hargrove and Stempel, SHNS) -- Americans like charter schools but aren't sure they should be run for profit, according to our poll. 350.
           
GHOST-POLLCHART (SHNS) -- Questions and results from the poll.
           
GHOST-CHART1, 2 (SHNS) -- Two charts showing state-by-state average attendance rates at public schools and varying age requirements for mandatory education.            

GHOST-EDITORIAL (Dale McFeatters, SHNS) -- A ghost school that purports to be teaching absent kids is providing a phantom education. 370.

GHOST-OHIO (Hargrove and Off, SHNS) FOR OHIO PAPERS. Ohio taxpayers have paid more than $100 million to educate thousands of high school students who rarely or never show up for class, part of the growing absenteeism at privately operated schools. Because Ohio pays schools based on enrollment, not attendance, companies get the money even if most of the desks are empty. 1,600.
         
GHOST-TEXAS (Hargrove and Off, SHNS) FOR TEXAS PAPERS. Texas officials want a refund for millions of tax dollars from charter schools that allegedly exaggerated attendance, part of a national problem of absenteeism at schools operated by for-profit corporations. Texas had at least 68 high schools where more than 20 percent of enrolled students missed class. 1,100
         
GHOST-FLORIDA (Hargrove and Off, SHNS) FOR FLORIDA PAPERS. Florida taxpayers are paying millions of dollars to educate thousands of high school students who rarely or never show up for class, part of the growing absenteeism at schools operated by for-profit corporations. On some campuses, half the students don't show up. 1,400

THOUSANDS OF UNVACCINATED CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOLS

VAX-EXEMPT (Bowman, SHNS) -- Hundreds of thousands of children are entering schools around the country this fall incompletely vaccinated against childhood diseases. Public-health officials say the growing trend of parents opting out of vaccines due to safety worries, coupled with obstacles of cost and access, has already brought about a resurgence of some diseases, with much bigger outbreaks threatening, 1,200. With photos: SH08H137VAXEXEMPT, SH08H138VAXEXEMPT, SH08H139VAXEXEMPT. With graphics and map: SH08H140VAXEXEMPT, SH08H141VAXEXEMPT, SH08H142VAXEXEMPT.

VAX-FEARS (Bowman, SHNS) -- The concerns that are driving many parents to seek exemption from vaccine requirements in schools. 600.

VAX-COST (Bowman, SHNS) -- The numbers and costs of childhood vaccines have skyrocketed in recent years -- factors, experts say, that are also making it more difficult to get all kids immunized. 500. With graphic: SH08H136VAXCOST.

VAX-POLL (Hargrove, SHNS) -- Most Americans think the benefits of childhood vaccines still outweigh the risks, but a majority also say parents should have the right to seek exemptions. 450.

VAX-POLLSIDE (SHNS) -- Specific questions. 400.

VAX-INFO (SHNS) -- Info box with background on vaccines and Web resources. 500.