Dear Columbus Stand Up! Community,

Columbus City Schools (CCS) is facing a severe financial crisis. Deficit spending has reached $100M per year, with little relief from state or federal funding. This moment, which many of us anticipated earlier this year, will require tough decisions ahead.

One immediate way we can help is by putting pressure on city government and COTA to support CCS – especially in areas like transportation and ESL services. Here’s how you can get involved:

Upcoming Meetings to Attend:

COTA External Stakeholder Relations Committee: Dec 2 at 3:30 PM
COTA Strategic and Operational Planning Committee: Dec 3 at 11:00 AM
Columbus Metropolitan Library Board Meeting: Dec 4 at 12:00 PM
COTA Board of Trustees: Dec 10 at 9:00 AM

Key Actions to Ask For:

Ask City Council and COTA to fund bus passes for students.
Ask libraries to provide ESL staff and services to help students stay on track.

Your presence and voice matter. Showing up at these meetings helps ensure that support for CCS is real, not just lip service. Together, we can make a difference for our students and community.

Lights Out AEP Reminders

Sign the Petition: Tell PUCO to reject AEP Ohio’s harmful rate increase.
Hilltop Canvass: Sunday, Nov 30 | 2 PM | 511 S. Hague Ave. | Register
PUCO Hearings: Dec 4 at 6 PM (Columbus Main Library) | Dec 9 at 11 AM (PUCO Offices) | Sign up to Testify
Testimony Workshop: Dec 3, 7–8 PM | Virtual | RSVP

We’ve also been getting strong media attention on this issue. Together, we can protect ourselves, our family, and our communities from this increase!