By Ronda Watson Barber
OhioMBE Publisher
It’s a troubling time for Columbus City Schools (CCS) as the district continues to gaslight the community about its spending transparency. Recently, I submitted a public records request to the state’s largest public school district, seeking clarity on the expenses related to the summer renovations at various school buildings. Specifically, I asked how much of the $60 million allocated to Operations was being spent locally and with Black vendors.
Who and what businesses reaped the benefits of the very publicized summer improvements? The district’s response was anything but transparent. According to CCS, the District’s yearly LEDE (Local Economically Disadvantaged Enterprises) report has not yet been started because invoices are still being received, and payments are still being applied to fiscal year 2024 purchase orders. This delay, they claim, prevents them from providing a breakdown of the LEDE spend for the summer renovations. I believe the district’s fiscal year is July to June. So they are still awaiting invoices from last term? Make it make sense!
But let’s be clear: this explanation is a smokescreen. The district’s response conveniently ignores the fact that they should be maintaining a continuous, up-to-date report on LEDE spending. This lack of real-time tracking was once managed by a program the district has since discontinued—a decision that raises even more questions about their commitment to transparency.
Even more troubling is the district’s claim that the LEDE spend cannot be broken down by specific projects, like the summer renovations. This is simply not true. Each department within the district forwards its spending numbers to be included in the LEDE report. Therefore, it is entirely possible—and indeed should be expected—that these numbers could be broken down by department and by project.
The community deserves better than vague, misleading responses from the district. Columbus City Schools must prioritize transparency, especially when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. Without clear and honest communication, how can we trust that the district is genuinely working in the best interest of all its students and the broader community?
This is not just about dollars and cents; it’s about accountability and trust. And right now, Columbus City Schools is falling short on both.
just my thoughts…
