The Ohio House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would put ballot questions before Columbus school district voters in November seeking a tax levy that could be shared with charter schools and creating an independent auditor for the district.
The House voted 78-15 yesterday to pass the measure, which had been recommended by Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s education commission.
The bill now heads to the state Senate.
The reform of public education has brought many would-be solutions and reform models that have been short-lived, said Rep. Kevin Boyce, D-Columbus. But this is not “one of those flavor-of-the-month reform initiatives,” said Boyce, who voted yes.
“We’re simply giving the voters of Columbus the opportunity to weigh in on the subject matter,” Boyce said.
But many Democrats — even those voting yes — were having trouble supporting the bill.
Critics cautioned that a legal challenge to sharing local tax dollars with charters could emerge, citing an Ohio Supreme Court decision that found that charters were constitutional because they did not receive part of the local property tax that went to district schools. Charters operate only with per-pupil state aid, which also goes to district schools.
“I’m very concerned about a new group of people being educational experts when we can’t seem to get it together here” in the legislature, said Rep. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, who voted no. “And I’m speaking about my own party here.”
The bill would also allow the mayor of Columbus to sponsor new charter schools. SOURCE
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