Columbus schools hire outside lawyers for attendance probe

COLUMBUS (AP) — Columbus city schools will spend up to $100,000 to hire extra lawyers to help negotiate the ongoing investigation into rigging of attendance data to boost state report card numbers.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the Columbus school board voted 5-1 Tuesday night to retain an outside law firm for the investigation — despite already having in-house attorneys.

Columbus is one of three Ohio school districts targeted by state investigations into enrollment and attendance practices. The others are the Lockland School District in the Cincinnati area and Toledo Public Schools.