School Funding Plan Pays Districts According to Wealth

Monday, February 2, 2009
Topics: Economy, Education, Politics, Other
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School districts around the state got their first took Monday at the numbers behind Governor Ted Strickland's education funding reform proposal. The amount of state dollars paid to struggling urban and rural schools would likely cause those districts to breathe a little easier, but better-off schools might not be so pleased. ideastream®'s Kymberli Hagelberg has more.

Governor Strickland’s long-awaited school funding fix would overhaul the way the state allocates money by essentially determining whether each of Ohio’s six-hundred-thirteen school districts is rich or poor.

The district categories include poor urban and rural, major urban and wealthy.

According to figures released by the state budget office, more than half the state’s districts would see more funding between now and 2011. 

Cleveland, which is among the state’s largest and neediest, would get a $16 million increase next year.

But Aurora Schools Superintendent Russ Bennett says a two-percent cut would be a big hit for his district, which has only 3000 students and is ranked in the wealthy category.
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Bennett: “That’s about $76,000, that’s a pretty big number.”

Bennett says the new rules could make the next Aurora levy a tough sell.

Bennett: “We’re all concerned about that. People are going to say, the governor said we’re going to give you more money, so why should I pass this?”

Strickland’s proposal requires the approval of the legislature.

Kymberli Hagelberg, 90.3