Gadfly Bites 7/14/25—“An erosion”

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1. In response to the state budget bill’s strict limitations on how districts can use public transit to get students to and from school, we learn in this piece that Dayton City Schools—one of two districts impacted by the new rule—is “working frantically” (a term guaranteed to send shivers down the spine) to continue offering busing to high school students next year. But they weren’t too busy with their efforts that they didn’t have time to once again vilify the charter and private school students they also must serve—who are, as we have heard time and again, the entire extent of the problem. Interestingly, district officials also say that the state legislature has “tied our hands” in terms of options for next year, but I only wish that that were true. But that is a patently false statement. Because if it were actually true, they would just execute the obvious response—likely the one lawmakers were hoping to get—which is cancelling transportation for all high school students. It’s not required by law, the logistics are clearly too complex for them, and they have failed to do it right for literally decades now. Stop digging, folks. The hole you’ve dug is deep enough. (Dayton Daily News, 7/14/25)
   
   

2. Potential changes to student transportation are the main thrust of this piece too, where we read about extended dithering by Cuyahoga Falls City Schools in regard to closing and consolidating some of their underutilized school buildings. It is nearly 500 words into this 650-word piece before we learn that these actions are necessary because their student enrollment has fallen 24 percent in the last 10 years. Before that plot twist—which should, obviously, have been right up at the top—the reason is given as “an erosion” in the district’s financial outlook. In case you failed to connect these deliberately confounded dots: kids are dollars, dollars are all that matter, and it takes a very big “erosion” of the dollar pile to get school district officials to do anything… legislative action notwithstanding, of course, as above. (Akron Beacon Journal, 7/11/25)
   
   

3. Finally today, here’s a look at the recent makeover of the study hall room at Olmstead Falls High School. Students complained that the old room was “super cold and uncomfortable with tables and desks”, so they asked to zhuzh it up. The district wouldn’t pay, but kids were allowed to raise funds from their parents the community to get a bunch of Barcaloungers, ottomans, and loveseats (oops, don’t call them that!) to warm the place up and make it comfier. We don’t get a look at the Before picture, but the After picture is supposed to look like the student union at a college. Honestly, it looks more like a bargain furniture warehouse sales floor to me, but what are you going to do? Flipping isn’t the glamorous pursuit that it used to be. (Cleveland.com, 7/14/25)

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