Ohio lawmakers on Oct. 7 overwhelmingly passed a charter school reform law that will overhaul the state’s embattled charter sector.

The law, which Republican Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign, includes new performance, accountability and reporting requirements that supporters believe will assure federal officials that millions of federal dollars earmarked for the state’s charter sector will be spent wisely.

Moving forward, charter school sponsors rated ineffective by the state will be barred from opening new schools and will forfeit current sponsorships if their ineffective rating persists for three straight years. Sponsors also will be required to report their spending annually to state regulators and are prohibited from profiting from the goods and services they provide their schools.

Parents, students and the public will be given more information about the members of charter school boards, which must be trained in public-records and open-meetings laws. Conflicts of interest among boards, operators and vendors are now prohibited, and the measure clarifies that equipment bought with tax dollars for a charter school belongs to the school, not its operator.

Failing charter schools will no longer be able to evade closure by “sponsor-hopping,” and schools must now provide more honest reporting on student attendance. The state will evaluate charter operators annually.

Associated Press, Oct. 8
The Toledo Blade, Oct. 13