COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a warning to Columbus City Schools on Tuesday after the district cut back on its bus transportation for students going to private and charter schools. If the district doesn't comply, Yost said they will face a lawsuit.
A Columbus City Schools parent said they have mixed feelings about the busing cuts and say it's a systematic issue that needs to be changed.
“The fact that the state is fining the public school districts for getting charter school students there late, I think is the real problem,” said Rita Hallaveld.
Hallaveld pointed out that transporting charter school students comes at a cost.
“Requiring schools to transport students who don’t attend in the district makes it that more and more money is being taken away from our public students,” added Hallaveld.
Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said policymakers need to look at the education system as a whole.
“When districts have to adjust their bus routes and do the kinds of things that are necessary to transport kids outside of the district, then that comes at a cost,” said DiMauro. “Part of the problem that we have is the state has been subsidizing private school tuition through school vouchers and creating alternative systems that come at a cost to the nearly 90% of our kids who attend our public schools."
Yost's office says the district is breaking the law by cutting transportation.
According to state law, transportation must be provided for charter and non-public students if they live within district boundaries and no more than 30 minutes from the public school they would attend if assigned.
“This isn’t an all-you-can-eat salad bar you don't get to pick and choose what you want and what you don't want. The bottom line is this is required by law, the state is funding local education and we expect the law to be followed,” said Yost.
Yost said he’s looking into the specifics of the case.
“Why are they doing this? Why did they pick these kids? What were the criteria they used and were they applied uniformly? Discovering the lawsuit is going to give us a lot of answers,” said Yost.
DiMauro said the most important aspect is getting students where they need to go safely.
“There needs to be some flexibility. We all want to make sure the kids are safe and receiving the transportation and services that they need," he said.
Yost said he hopes the district will have a conversation about complying with the law, but isn't feeling optimistic.