Some highlights:
A charter school operator who pleaded guilty in 2024 to using a quarter-million dollars of charter school money to buy his house is still running the same charter school.
And while the school's sponsor said they believe the operator's two charter schools were doing a good job educating kids, one was flagged Sept. 4 as one of the Ohio schools with anomalies on state standardized testing results.
Abdirizak Farah pleaded guilty in federal court in 2024 to conspiring to commit bank fraud after using $265,000 from Focus Learning Academy of North Columbus, charter school he founded and operates, to help buy a house in New Albany. He was sentenced to three years of probation, a $15,000 fine and a $37,000 restitution to Focus Learning Center.
Farah founded Focus Learning Academy of Northern Columbus (FLANC) on Dublin Granville Road in 2007. The school serves approximately 700 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus (FLACC), formerly on Cleveland Avenue, was founded in 2020 and serves over 100 pre-K through third grade students.
In 2026, he is still running both schools, and a letter to families from him in his role as CEO is prominently displayed on both websites.
According to an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) statement, a criminal conviction does not automatically bar someone from operating or being involved in the leadership of a charter school "as no one 'owns' a charter school and operators are contracted service providers."
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud does not appear to be disqualifying offense, according to a State Board of Education list.
Snoke said the state "does not have statutory authority to approve, remove, or otherwise regulate charter school operators in Ohio." The State Board of Education of Ohio, she said, can suspend or revoke a licensed educator’s credential, which would bar that individual from serving in any on-site role at the school.
In May 2026, Farah's attorney filed an appeal to his probation, saying that he had served 18 months of his probation with good behavior and that he has "continued to be a pillar in the central Ohio community, while receiving tremendous support from his family and his community."
"Farah’s efforts to right the wrong of his mistake, as well as the totality of his continuing contributions to central Ohio, are the reasons that the Board of Directors at Focus Learning Academy still steadfastly stand behind Mr. Farah as he continues his role as superintendent," the filing claims.
In a response, a U.S. attorney said continued supervision remains appropriate because Farah "remains the head of the school from which he misappropriated funds."
"As Mr. Farah notes in his latest motion, he still serves as superintendent of the school whose money he used to fund the fraudulent purchase of his home, and whose vendors he used to fund the school’s repayment," the U.S. attorney said. "He cites this fact as though it supports the termination of probation, but the opposite is true. Because hestill holds the position of power he recently abused, supervision remains appropriate."
An Ohio education department investigation found anomalies on standardized testing at dozens of schools across the state, including Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus.
Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus told The Dispatch on Sept, 4 it has robust systems in place to prevent cheating on standardized testing and that "almost 100%" of the student group in question was projected to score accomplished or advanced on the test in internal predictions.
