By Ronda Watson Barber
For 25 years, the Columbus City Schools Local Economically Disadvantaged Enterprise (LEDE) program served as a pathway for local small businesses to participate in district contracting and procurement.
Was it perfect? No.
Like many public programs, it was understaffed and stretched thin. In fact, for many years the program operated as essentially a one-person shop without dedicated clerical support. One individual managed certifications, outreach, documentation, and the day-to-day administration of the program.
Even with those limitations, the program worked.
Businesses were certified. Relationships were built. Contracts were awarded. Local entrepreneurs had a pathway into opportunities funded by public dollars.
That matters.
So when district administrators suggest the LEDE program must be “rebuilt from the foundation,” it is fair to ask a very simple question:
Why?
The program did not need to be rebuilt. It needed support.
It needed competent leadership, adequate staffing, and a clear directive from the top that departments would be inclusive in purchasing and that Columbus City Schools would intentionally reinvest in the community footing the tax bill.
Instead, after the retirement of the program’s originator, the administration left the position tied to the program open for more than a year.
That is not rebuilding.
That is neglect.
Programs do not usually fail because their original design was flawed. They weaken when leadership leaves them unsupported, unstaffed, and without a clear institutional commitment.
And now, public records raise additional concerns about how the LEDE certification process has been changed.
A Sworn Statement Was Removed
Historically, the LEDE certification process included a notarized statement. That mattered because a notarized statement is not just paperwork. It is a sworn declaration affirming the truthfulness of the information provided under penalty of perjury.
That safeguard exists to protect the integrity of the certification process.
But records produced by the district suggest that requirement was removed.
In a July 29, 2024 internal email, a CCS project manager wrote that changes had been made to the certification process, including “not requiring notarization.” He also noted that he had discussed the matter with district leadership and was asked to draft a new process flow and demonstration of the revised form.
Shortly afterward, an updated LEDE application was circulated internally.
That updated form includes a signature line but no notarized affidavit section.
The requirement appears to have disappeared.
The question now becomes:
Who authorized the change?
Was there a formal policy modification?
Was the Board of Education informed?
So far, the records provided do not answer those questions.
A New Requirement Raises Bigger Questions
While the sworn affidavit appears to have been removed, businesses are now being asked to sign a sweeping consent to release financial information.
The authorization allows banks, financial institutions, employers, credit reporting agencies, creditors, and other entities to release financial information to Columbus City Schools.
The information may include:
- income tax returns
- bank statements
- wage statements
- financial reports
- real estate records
- business records
- other confidential documentation
The language also states that the consent continues as long as the individual or any business they own participates in the LEDE program.
That is a remarkable shift.
A program that once required a sworn statement under penalty of perjury now appears to have removed that safeguard while asking businesses to authorize broad access to confidential financial information.
That should give any business owner pause.
The Program Doesn’t Need to Be Torn Down
The narrative that the LEDE program must be rebuilt from the foundation does not hold up.
A 25-year-old program that served local businesses—even with limited staffing and resources—is not evidence of failure.
It is evidence of a structure that needed support.
The program did not need to be dismantled and reinvented.
It needed leadership.
It needed staffing.
It needed a clear directive from district leadership that supplier inclusion is an expectation across departments—not an afterthought.
And it needed the district to recognize something fundamental:
Columbus residents fund the school system through their tax dollars. Reinvesting in the local business community should be part of responsible stewardship of those public resources.
The Real Question
If the LEDE program is struggling today, the answer is not to declare the past 25 years broken.
The real question is whether the administration is willing to provide the leadership necessary to ensure the program operates as intended.
Fill the position.
Support the staff.
Provide competent oversight.
And set a clear expectation that inclusive purchasing is part of responsible public administration.
Because when public institutions intentionally do business with local companies, the benefits extend far beyond a single contract.
They strengthen neighborhoods, support families, and reinvest in the very community that funds the system.
That was always the purpose of the LEDE program.
And it is a purpose still worth protecting.
Just my thoughts…rwb
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