Lawmakers have passed House Bill 2. The comprehensive reform to the way charter schools are policed is headed to the governor’s desk for his final approval.
Lawmakers say HB 2 will increase accountability and transparency in the system. It stops what’s known as sponsor hopping. This is when a failing charter school tries to find a new sponsor when the original one pulls the plug. It also clamps down on scenarios that could create conflicts of interest between a school and its operator. And it implements more oversight in general by the Ohio Department of Education.
Democrats have been vocal opponents of the current charter school system. Minority Leader Fred Strahorn of Dayton says this measure takes Ohio in the right direction.
“While it doesn’t go as far as we want it to and we want to take a look at those things as we proceed in the future—but this is a good start to giving us the kind of accountability around public spending,” Strahorn said.
Critics say they would like the General Assembly to address how charters are funded next.
