Columbus – After a several month hiatus, progressive think tank Innovation Ohio today resumes its coveted “Taxpayer Rip-Off Of The Week” award. The Award is presented to legislators, policies or practices that provide especially outrageous examples of taxpayer abuse. Getting 2013 off to a rousing start is this week’s winner: Ohio Charter Schools. According to a recent analysis by the Kasich Administration’s own Department of Education, traditional public schools spend an average of $10,111 per pupil, while brick-and-mortar Charters spend an average of $10,165. In other words, (non-E-school) Charters cost $54 more per pupil than traditional schools. At the same time —according to the state’s “Performance Index Score”— Charters, on average, rank in the bottom 8% of all public schools in student performance. [Read more…]