Lawmakers Jump Into Dispute Over School District Lines

by Andy Chow

Lawmakers want to change the way the battles over school district borders are handled with a bill that had its first hearing in the House. 

There are areas of land that have been annexed by the city of Columbus, but the people in those areas still stay in the suburban school districts.

These are called win-win agreements, but if the suburbs ever wanted to call off those agreements then the city has the power to take those kids and put them into Columbus City Schools.

Republican Representative Mike Duffey says this is unfair and has a bill that would make the current district lines permanent.

“It is eminently reasonable for districts to say ‘what is ours is ours, what is yours is yours.’ If there are disparities in wealth and somebody wants to go down that pathway the venues with which to fight that battle is the state funding formula,” said Duffey.

A Columbus City Schools spokesperson says the Win-Win Agreement creates valuable partnerships for all involved and provides stability for the region.