State Representative Robert F. Hagan announced on Thursday that he will seek the Eighth District seat on the Ohio State Board of Education. Hagan, who is leaving the General Assembly due to term limits, said in a news release that he is seeking the post because it will enable him to work to improve primary and secondary education in the state of Ohio.

“Improving our schools and ensuring that our state’s children have access to the high quality education they need to reach their full potential in work and in life has been a priority for me since my first day in the Ohio House,” Rep. Hagan said. “Joining the State Board of Education will provide me with the opportunity to continue my efforts to strengthen and enhance our public schools.”

Representative Hagan noted that the state charter school industry is virtually unregulated, and he says he intends to hold charter schools accountable for the tax dollars they receive. “Since they were first created by Republican-sponsored legislation in 1997, charter schools, including those operated by for-profit corporations, have yet to be held accountable for the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars they have consumed and in most instances wasted,” Rep. Hagan said.

Rep. Hagan said recent media reports chronicling alleged abuses that have occurred at Horizon Science Academies underscore the need for increased scrutiny and constant vigilance. “We’ve basically poured tens of millions of dollars down a rat hole,” he said. “Those dollars could and should have been used to improve the schools here in Mahoning County and across the state. Instead, they’ve done nothing more than enrich people who callously view education as a profit center.”

Michelle LePore Hagan who is running for the legislative spot being vacated by her husband, joined Democratic nominee for Governor Ed Fitzgerald on Wednesday in a call for more state oversight of for-profit charter schools.

The Eighth SBOE District is comprised of Mahoning, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. Hagan has been a State Rep, and State Senator for 28 years representing the Mahoning, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. Debra Cain of Uniontown who now represents the District is not seeking reelection.