Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed an emergency motion with the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking immediate intervention in the transportation crisis affecting charter and private school students in Columbus. This action is part of a lawsuit initiated by Yost earlier this month to compel Columbus City Schools to resume legally mandated transportation services.
“Every day of inaction from Columbus Schools puts parents between a rock and a hard place,” Yost stated. “Parents are being forced to quit their jobs, rearrange their lives and scramble for transportation, while the school board fails to meet its legal duties. This cannot wait – we need the court to act now.”
The emergency motion focuses on a specific violation where the district continues to refuse transportation even after families request mediation to challenge the initial decision not to provide it. According to state law, once such a challenge is made, Columbus City Schools must immediately resume transportation services for that student during the mediation process.
Columbus City Schools is legally required to transport eligible private and charter school students within district boundaries. However, at the start of this school year, many students were deemed "impractical" to transport, leaving families with little notice and no reliable means for their children’s commute.
On September 3rd, AG Yost sent a cease-and-desist letter warning of legal action if noncompliance continued. The district did not resume services, prompting a lawsuit two days later.
Yost's filing today emphasizes the urgency of obtaining an immediate order from the Ohio Supreme Court requiring Columbus School District to provide transportation for any student who has requested or will request mediation while the lawsuit proceeds. This emergency order would stay in effect until all claims are resolved by the court.
Yost highlighted that an accelerated timeline is crucial as students without current transportation risk losing access to their chosen schools if there are delays in judicial proceedings.