By Nathan Leaf
Enquirer Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - An expansion of charter schools may have to wait until next year.

Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate can't agree on the best way to give students more choice in charter schools, jeopardizing prospects for new legislation this year.

The volatile issue of creating more charter schools sent public school teachers to the airwaves.

"Charter schools will take more than $180 million from Ohio's public schools this year," says a radio ad sponsored by the Coalition for Public Education, representing several Ohio teacher unions and public school leaders. "They've made headlines for fraud and mismanagement."

The ad is intended to shine a spotlight on a bill that would create more charter schools, in part by letting non-profit groups sponsor them anywhere in Ohio.

Tom Mooney, a coalition leader and president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, says the charter school program should not be expanded until their success can be proven. He said 14 charter schools have failed since they were first created in 1997 and many others do not meet state education standards.

"Once you create these privately-operated schools, especially those that are sponsored by another private group...how does the voter impose any accountability on what they're doing?" Mr. Mooney said.

Rep. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, the bill's sponsor, said Mr. Mooney wants to keep education in public schools regardless of how good or bad they are.

"Tom Mooney will never be happy until he takes away choices from Ohio parents and families."

There are 127 charter schools operating in Ohio, with 16 in the Cincinnati area. Current law limits charter schools to only 21 school districts. The bill would open every school district in Ohio to charter schools. It would also let private not-for-profit groups both sponsor and run such schools.

Neither charter school groups nor teachers' organizations on hand for a hearing at the Senate Education Committee this week seemed happy with the plan. The biggest change would let only education-oriented not-for-profit groups open charter schools. Over the next five years these groups could only take over existing charter schools, not create new ones.

Mr. Husted called some of the Senate changes "unworkable." These include requiring more personal interaction between students and teachers in Internet charter schools and requiring non-profit groups to have tax-exempt status.

The committee's chair, Sen. Robert Gardner, R-Madison,, said he has the support needed to get the modified bill out of committee and through the Senate.

The Associated Press contributed.