Thursday, May 20, 1999
Budget bill would erase boundaries
BY DANA DiFILIPPO
The Cincinnati Enquirer
An amendment to the state budget proposal would allow students to cross district lines to attend charter schools, which could spark fierce competition for students between city and suburban districts.
The bill also would allow 13 more districts — including Hamilton and Middletown — to start charter schools. State law now permits new charter schools only in the state's eight biggest districts. The bill, approved by the House, is under consideration in the Senate.
Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Steven Adamowski predicts the changes will ignite an explosion of charter schools that will lead to regional competition for students.
“There will be an educational Darwinism,” Mr. Adamowski said. “There will be more schools than we have students for, and the schools that can't compete will be forced to close.”
CPS anticipates losing 8,000 of its 47,200 students in the next decade — partly due to more families moving to the suburbs.
Mr. Adamowski said the budget bill's open-enrollment provision could help stop that exodus.
“For the first time, we can compete with suburban districts,” he said. “We're moving toward greater regionalism and more cross-district competition.”
Two state-approved charter schools opened last fall within CPS boundaries — Harmony Community School in Bond Hill and Oak Tree Montessori School downtown. The Ohio Department of Education approved eight more to open in CPS this fall.
The district has scrambled to fight that trend by adopting a policy under which the board can approve its own charter schools. CPS aims to convert several existing schools and start new ones as charter schools by fall 2000.
J.J.'s babies are endless gift to neighborhood
Police shooting called fatal error
Report evokes wait-and-see reaction
Girl, 7, expelled in cap-gun case
Venues remove violent games
What's best for downtown?
Ujima festival gets $150,000 from city
Ohio House backs Commandment monuments at schools
Police deny shooting in raid
Schools awash in charter ideas
Budget bill would erase boundaries
Lawmakers doubt numbers in Kentucky gaming study
Patton seeks higher gasoline tax
Private donor offers bonus reward money
Art makes students' points about violence and abuse
Robots now fix hearts
Contenders in line for shot at Lucas
Writer's images of Ky. haunting
GET TO IT
It's Commonly Jazz series returns to toot its horn
'Take a Stand' helps teens talk about anger, violence
45 arrests after Kings Island 'Grad Night'
Agencies pinched by rising needs
Colerain road will be wider
Council rejects change to intimidation law
County's radio system costs $4.9M
Covington clinic marks anniversary
Covington party ends in slaying
Finan spurns aid plea
Furnish found guilty in killing
Girl's last try for cure fails
Harper competent, could die Tuesday
Hostile e-mails case over
Lebanon manager praised as innovator
Lebanon recall leaves sour taste for many
Meister's attorney won't give up photos
Music room better than ever after fire
Nye urges scrapping proposal
Paint-ball gun brings boy's arrest
Repeat DUI cases target of push for new law
Sisters can pursue claim of fraud against insurer
Tobacco sales to underage dip
TRISTATE DIGEST
Ventura's dismissal request denied
