Columbus Schools Bill Goes Before Lawmakers

A bill that would install recommendations from a new Columbus education commission got its first Statehouse hearing Wednesday. The Senate Education Committee is weighing the bill that would create a new auditor position independent of the district but beholden to a city commission. That recommendation follows accusations by a former district auditor that she was fired for investigating attendance records. The bill would also create a $50 million public/private innovation fund for charter schools. That $50 million would include the first tax levy money for charter schools. Mayor Michael Coleman has publicly praised the bill while asking for some tweaks, including limits on how much public money an individual charter school can receive. Some local activists and school board members have denounced the proposals as a city takeover of the district.