By Ronda Watson Barber
OhioMBE Publisher
Secrecy and wasting tax dollars is standard practice for Columbus City Schools. There was the data scandal. Recently, local media and the Columbus NAACP have battled with the elected school board over transparency regarding the recent hiring process of the district’s superintendent. OhioMBE was denied information on the communication contractors to be hired. Three lawyers on the board approved hiring another law firm to manage the search. There was an obvious secrecy pact. Any questions asked about the search were cloaked under client privilege. The cost was $250,000 or a quarter of a million dollars. The community has a right to know how taxpayer funds were spent and the process. The board has remained silent.
This board has no problem spending money. The board also approved spending $1.25 million on software for the transportation department. The software utilization was shortly halted after purchase. The district went back to using the old system. Where’s the accountability for wasting $1.25 million?
The elected board regularly votes for legislation that opposes its equity policy and doesn’t include LEDE vendors. During the 2022-2023 school term, the district spent $332,130,966.56. LEDE vendors procured $17,008,371.37 from CCS. According to the utilization report, white men benefit from the program in the predominately Black school district. Thirty-one white companies received $6,025,297.54 in contracts, while 68 Black firms received $8,141,331.09. Columbus City Schools and its administration continue to violate its inclusion policy. The Columbus Board of Education and the administration regularly award contracts without including Black-owned businesses.
The district settled a federal lawsuit with a white disgruntled employee who alleged racial discrimination. He was upset that he wasn’t rehired after retiring. Information from a public records request indicates the board approved paying its insurance deductible of $100,000 to United Educators. There were 826.90 billable hours. United Educators paid the law firm $192,487. Dennis Carney received $70,000.
The board is silent and often irresponsible when spending tax dollars. The same board will be very vocal about asking taxpayers to fund a levy. Why should the community trust the administration or elected school board? Where is the accountability for the misuse of funds? Where is the accountability for the lack of transparency? Where is the equity in the district’s spending practices?
Columbus City School Board is failing. The incumbents for reelection must be held accountable for unsafe unhealthy building conditions, transportation issues, security concerns, and the inability to do business with Black vendors. They approve spending. They set district policy. It can not continue to be business as usual.
Just my thoughts…rwb
