Why Are Children Being Pulled From Columbus Public Schools?

A 22-page report is available on the Kids Ohio web site. The count is up to 7,100 students who have left the district and entered a charter school. More than 90 percent of guardians cite more than one reason for switching from Columbus Public Schools (CPS) to a charter school.

Reasons include:

– Discipline, safety and dress: 42 percent
– Individual attention: 42 percent
– Specific, unmet academic/physical needs (excluding physical disability): 39 percent
– Quality of education in general: 30 percent
– Communication: 9 percent

The study polled 371 families. Aside from charter schools, the report's Executive Summary cites one additional "competitive pressere": school vouchers. As many as 8,323 youngsters in 23 Columbus Public Schools are eligible for these vouchers next fall since their schools have been in Academic Emergency for three straight years.

Later