A new bipartisan bill in the Ohio House requires nearly 180 charter schools to change how they do business or close.
Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
Charter schools are non-profit by law, but around 178 are managed by for-profit operators. The bill from Republican Gayle Manning and Democrat Jeffrey Crossman would require those operators to be non-profit as well by 2023.
“The goal here is not to make schools close. The goal here is to make sure schools are operating efficiently and doing what they’re supposed to be doing, which is educating the children.”
Seven other states have similar legislation, and Manning says the bill has the support of Republican Speaker Larry Householder. The bill would also require charters be audited as public schools are, and would make the operators’ books public records. A study by an anti-charter school group has shown for-profit operators spend 73% more on administrative costs per student than public schools do.
