Gadfly Bites 7/9/25—Check your work

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1. The main reason I am clipping this Dispatch listicle is because data from Fordham’s awesome Ohio Education By the Numbers publication is cited and linked right at the top. (That is, in fact, the main purpose of this decade-old lark—to catalogue our own media appearances—in case you didn’t know.) But there are other important things to note. First is that the original version of the piece used an incorrect calculation to determine the percentage of central Ohio students who choose a school option other than their district of residence. Second is that, with the corrected formula, we can see that Columbus City Schools is quickly approaching a 50/50 split of resident students who choose the district versus choosing charter, private, STEM, or interdistrict open enrollment options. Surely that will open some eyes. Third is that the districts with the smallest percentages of students opting for other schools entirely make sense—both the tiny, moneyed suburbs and the burgeoning exurbs that are in the single digits. Fourth is that they should have taken the opportunity to correct that sucky headline while they were revamping their equally errant numbers. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/8/25)
   
   

2. The only other news of note today is that Youngstown City Schools recently announced the mascot for its new high school, opening in fall of 2026 and combining the students from the two current high schools into one. Both have been shrinking in enrollment for years (where have we heard that one before?) and whoever remains by next fall will be merged into one of the two buildings to become the new Defenders. (Hmmm… Sounds like the next Marvel movie to me.) I can only assume that Youngstown Early College High School, which is separate and is going to expand in the vacated building due to its popularity, will continue without need for a mascot because those folks are much too busy actually doing schoolwork and stuff. (Vindy.com, 7/8/25)

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