Columbus City Schools will start busing around 100 charter and nonpublic school students who had been deemed impractical to transport.
The district notified affected public and charter schools in a letter that was sent out Wednesday.
The letter said families of the students who were told they were impractical to bus rejected the district's offer of payment in lieu of transportation. The families challenged that decision and asked for remediation through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
Starting Monday, Columbus City Schools will bus those students.
“Under Ohio law, if we fail to transport these students during the mediation process, the Ohio Department of Education may order us to pay compensation to these families,” the letter states.
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Busing the additional students will involve adding five new bus routes and changing 33 existing routes, according to the district. The CCS transportation team said that could impact drop-off and pickup times for up to 1,100 students.
“We regret any inconvenience caused to your schools and students during this time,” reads the letter, that was addressed to charter and nonpublic partners and signed by the CCS transportation team.
Last week, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked the state supreme court to force CCS to bus students who had challenged the district’s decision.
In an emergency motion in a lawsuit filed against the school district, Yost argued that when a student challenges a transportation decision, the school must immediately start busing them and continue busing them while the challenge is ongoing.
The district initially responded by saying the argument was "without legal merit,” and also saying that it “should be dismissed by the court.”
