COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus City Schools announced it will begin to transport 102 charter and private school students who were previously denied the service amid ongoing legal challenges.
In a letter sent to families on Monday, CCS said starting Oct. 7, it will transport students whose families have requested mediation rather than payment, after being told they will no longer have CCS busing to get them to school.
Under Ohio law, public school districts have a responsibility to transport students who attend private or charter schools to school. They can choose to declare some students' transportation impractical, but must offer either payment or mediation.
According to CCS, the change requires the district to add five new busing routes and make adjustments to 33 current routes. The district said this may change pick up and drop off times for more than 1,100 public school students.
"Under Ohio law, if we fail to transport these students during the mediation process, the Ohio Department of Education may order us to pay compensation to these families," the district said.
Previously, CCS said there were 120 students who requested mediation, but the number has since dropped to 102. Media Relations Coordinator Tyler Carter said the number has changed because some students have shifted their enrollment or have "come back to CCS."
The decision follows an ongoing legal debate with the state about the decision to stop providing transportation to private and charter students living in the district. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost placed the number of affected students at 1,930 as of Sept. 4.
On Sept. 25, Yost filed an emergency motion against the district, asking CCS to grant immediate relief to students who were declared transportation impractical. The motion was filed on behalf of families who refused payment from the district and instead sought mediation to get transportation for their students.
CCS responded on Sept. 30 and asked for the motion to be dismissed. In its response, the district said it was working on a solution for the families that have requested mediation.
This is on top of two lawsuits against the district, with one from Yost and another from an affected family. Both were filed in September and allege the district told students they would not be bused later than was legally allowed.
