Posted August 16, 200420 yr Don't residents know that good schools equal good return on property value? Your voice: Mark H. Morris Opinion peice removed Mark H. Morris, a Fairfield resident and father of two daughters, works as a consultant to local governments in southwestern Ohio.
August 16, 200420 yr Don't residents know that good schools equal good return on property value? The problems come when you are being asked to ante up every other year for another tax increase while seeing little appreciable gains from your tax dollars--while at the same time the increase in your taxes is not keeping pace with the increase in your property's value. It's a horrible funding system. It's one that a community such as Fairfield may somehow be able to weather, but I feel sorry for schools in some areas that have no chance of ever improving.
August 16, 200420 yr This system really is the factor in why sprawl is so bad. It already happened because cities crapped out in the 70s, but even the fact that they've made incredible gains since then no one wants to live there because the schools are crappy. And then you have a "chicken or the egg" cycle. No money to fund schools because the middle class population has moved out because the schools got bad because there isnt money to fund them since the middle class.... heh
January 26, 200520 yr i've said it before and i'll say it again. property tax school funding is flawed and unfair. levy funding is cumbersome. the fix is a rather radical step for ohio, but its much easier to administate and much more fair in the end: income tax. this method is favored by education experts. i hope it at least gets some consideration. what a mess!
January 26, 200520 yr Yeah, the property tax idea was great when everyone lived on farms. It doesn't (and hasn't) work in our heavily industrialized, stratified society.
January 26, 200520 yr Here's a related story from the 1/26/05 Enquirer: Anger builds over funding cuts State program to aid schools adjusted to reflect enrollment The Associated Press A state program to pay $10 billion for school construction and renovation has hit a snag, with declining enrollments in some districts leading to directives to scale back projects amid threats of lawsuits by affected communities. Cincinnati has already scaled back the scope of its $1 billion construction project because of steadily declining enrollment, and school administrators in Akron and Canton have begun studying ways to trim construction to reflect enrollment declines. In East Liverpool in eastern Ohio, a taxpayer has sued to force the district to halt construction. "We're pretty angry," said Gail Whipkey, whose sixth-grade daughter attends Souers Middle School in Canton. The school has been targeted for closing to bring the city's $176 million building program into line with enrollments that have dropped 16 percent to 10,921 since 1998. ... Jennifer Mrozowski contributed to this report. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050126/NEWS01/501260413/1056
January 26, 200520 yr Where is all the lottery money going? :) This is not just an Ohio issue. This is a cultural problem. Bond issues are passed, sales taxes are increased or whatever the case may but to build these huge professional sports stadiums. I am definately not anti-pro sports. I love sports - die hard Cleveland fan (all sports). But why is public money used to finance private enterprise? Societys priorities are backwards. These .5% sales tax should not be used for pro sports, instead should be used for schools. Obviously this isn't THEE answer just a example or comparison for the example. Until societys priorities are straightened out our public schools will continue to have problems. Never mind using public money to help fund private schools - but that is another topic.
January 26, 200520 yr Until societys priorities are straightened out our public schools will continue to have problems. Never mind using public money to help fund private schools - but that is another topic. I don't know--it's kind of the same topic, especially when you start talking about charter schools, or vouchers to attend private schools with public money.
January 27, 200520 yr Yeah, the property tax idea was great when everyone lived on farms. It doesn't (and hasn't) work in our heavily industrialized, stratified society. exactly true. which leads to part two of major school reform. get rid of summer vacation. we dont work on farms for the most part. year round schools are increasingly popular despite conversion issues like fans/ac in the summer. since all this funding drama is finally blowing up in ohio over the past few years now is a good time to push for two major modern era state level updates like a change to an easy income tax funding (or some other fair funding solution) and school year readjustments.
January 27, 200520 yr I think the balkanized school district system you have here is a real problem too. I hate to keep coming back to Kentucky examples, but both Louisville and Lexington have countywide school systems (there is a very minor exception in Louisville, with the small horsey suburb of Anchorage). One district..one funding pool. Also, these unified districts helped during the 70s when there was the bussing solution to racial segregation...the entire district desegregated thus leading to avoidance of white flight and resegregation of urban districts.
January 27, 200520 yr That is asuming that a school district is contained to one county. That is not the case in Ohio. My Alma Mater had students from 4(!) counties.
January 27, 200520 yr grasscat: it kind of is the same topic, but the arguement for and against would lead it to a whole new set of issues to discuss. What weathy school district is going to be willing to pool there money so poorer school districts can have more? I really don't know what the solution is but one needs to be found - obviously.
February 3, 200520 yr I found this in the 2/3/05 Akron Beacon Journal: School-funding steps proposed Plan of Taft's panel backs higher property taxes By Dennis J. Willard and Doug Oplinger Beacon Journal staff writers COLUMBUS - Gov. Bob Taft accepted the recommendations from his task force on school funding Wednesday and issued a challenge to Ohio's educators: Get on board with the proposals or face a long cold spell from state government. The task force proposed dramatic changes, including: • Increasing the minimum property tax for schools, which could raise local taxes automatically in more than 350 of Ohio's 612 school districts. • Allowing inflationary increases in local property taxes. • Eliminating a cost-of-business factor, which would reshuffle more than $251 million in state aid from wealthy to poor districts. The report is the first re-examination of school funding since the Ohio Supreme Court in 2003 ended its involvement in the issue. The court had ruled four times -- beginning in 1997 -- that the way the state funds education is unconstitutional. However, when elections changed the composition of the court, the justices voted to let go of the case without enforcing their rulings. ... Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or [email protected]. Doug Oplinger can be reached at 330-996-3750 or [email protected]. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/10804570.htm?1c
February 19, 200520 yr I thought this was relevant. From the 2/18/05 Enquirer: Most local schools lose under Taft budget Cincinnati hit hardest with $2.8 million cut By Jim Siegel and Jennifer Mrozowski Enquirer staff writers COLUMBUS - The vast majority of school districts in Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties would endure significant financial hits in the next two years under Gov. Bob Taft's proposed state budget. No district in the state would lose more money than Cincinnati Public Schools. The district's funding would be frozen at $137.9 million next year, before dropping by almost $2.8 million in 2007, according to new documents released Thursday by the state budget office. Of Ohio's eight largest urban districts, Cincinnati is the only one losing money. Columbus will pick up about $2.8 million more; Cleveland, $9.1 million, and Dayton, almost $10 million. ... E-mail [email protected] MULTIMEDIA • School district budget proposals (PDF) http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050218/NEWS0102/502180365
May 20, 200520 yr Here are a couple of article from 5/20/05. The first is from the Dayton Daily News, and the second is about a different approach which appeared in the Newark Advocate: Mayors seek school-funding plan Group to propose new system by early 2006 By Joanne Huist Smith Dayton Daily News DAYTON | Ohio mayors are tackling the problem of school funding in Ohio, aiming to produce a proposed new funding system by early 2006. "We have kids who are not getting what they need from the state," Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, president of the United States Conference of Mayors, said Thursday. "We'll put a plan before voters to deal with the issue once and for all," he said. ... Contact Joanne Smith at 225-2362. http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0520mayors.html School funding advocates demand change Group may place Ohio amendment on Nov. ballot By TAMMY KRANZ Advocate Reporter NEWARK -- Local superintendents who support revamping state's school funding system hope a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution can provide the fix. Educate Ohio hopes to put an amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot intended to reduce property taxes and fix school funding. The amendment would "eliminate the need for school levies for operations," according to a news release on the group's Web site. "The amendment achieves this by requiring the state to define what the components of an adequate education are, and to cost out those components. The amendment reduces property taxes by $2.5 billion across Ohio," the release stated. ... Tammy Kranz can be reached at (740) 328-8546 or [email protected] http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050520/NEWS01/505200304/1002
May 20, 200520 yr The problem is that localities don't want to pay for schools and want the state to bail them out. Tough shit. We need to get some conservative judges into the Ohio Supreme Court to reverse that "unconsitutional" decision, and get the state out of funding K-12. Thats one of big slices in the state budget.... On edit I do like what the mayors are doing and that they are getting involved, as failing local schools directly impact the competetivness of urban areas as well as property values in core cities. An example of a mayor getting direclty involved was in Sacramento, where the city school district was failing. The mayor, Joe Serna, actually organized a reform movement and ran his own slate of candidates for the school board, replacing the old board. Serna then set in motion school reform via his proxy school board. That move raised eyebrows, but Serna said that, as mayor, he had a vested interest in local schools performing well, even tho the school district was a seperate jurisdiction from city govt.
May 20, 200520 yr ^ How do you propose to pay for schools in a way that is equitable to everyone, if I may ask?
May 23, 200520 yr From the 5/23/05 Youngstown Vindicator: Proposal would fix school funding The governor opposes the school funding alternative. By JEFF ORTEGA VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT COLUMBUS — Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment say they believe their proposal could cut property taxes by more than $2.5 billion statewide and offer a solution to a school-funding system declared unconstitutional by the state's highest court. "The Legislature hasn't fixed it. The governor hasn't fixed [it]. The only option available would be a constitutional amendment," said Bryan Flannery, a former Cleveland-area state representative who authored the proposed amendment. The proposal would declare that every school-aged child in the state has a fundamental right to high-quality public schooling. ... http://www.vindy.com/basic/news/283803288645195.php
May 27, 200520 yr From the 5/27/05 Dayton Daily News: Senate offers new school funding plan By William Hershey Dayton Daily News COLUMBUS | Just three days after proposing one school funding plan, Senate leaders on Thursday unveiled a slightly different one that would partially restore an ingredient that benefits school districts in urban areas. Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., said that instead of immediately doing away with the "cost of doing business factor" — as proposed Monday — the new plan would fund that factor at two-thirds of the current level in the first year of the new budget and at one-third of the current level in the second year. The factor takes into account higher costs in urban areas when allocating state aid to schools. ... Contact William Hershey at (614) 224-1608. http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0527senate.html
June 13, 200520 yr This was the front page, banner article in the 6/12/05 Enquirer: PHOTO: Jeremy Corbin, 22, a newly licensed social studies teacher from Fairfield, is working construction because he can't find a full-time job with a local school. "I'd rather be in a classroom," he says. The Enquirer/Sarah Conard PHOTO: Carol Sauer, a 13-year educator, was laid off her "dream job" as a kindergarten teacher at Meredith Hitchens Elementary School in Addyston. The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman PHOTO: Stephanie White of Elsmere, a social studies educator, shows her substitute teacher ID. "If I don't get a full-time, permanent teaching job in the fall," she says, "I'll probably substitute and start looking for a job in the private sector and get on with my life." The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy Bitter lessons for teachers As funds recede, so do opportunities By Denise Smith Amos Enquirer staff writer Carol Sauer held back tears as she packed her teaching materials and gave her empty classroom a final cleaning. "I'm so sad," she said, "but I'm really trying to hold it together. I keep telling myself I'll be OK." Sauer was laid off her "dream job" as a kindergarten teacher at Meredith Hitchens Elementary in Addyston. The Three Rivers School District cut 19 teaching and support jobs, including hers. Now Sauer, a 13-year educator, is looking for work along with teachers like Jeremy Corbin, a newly licensed social studies teacher from Fairfield. ... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050612/NEWS0102/506120343/1058/NEWS01
June 29, 200519 yr An interesting series of articles from the 6/29/05 Enquirer: PHOTO: At East End Community Heritage School, Lori Blaine's language arts and social studies class watches a film about the civil rights movement. Watching are (from left) Jessie Cravens, 11, John Mills, 11, Paige Humphrey, 12, and Cheyanne Hernandez, 10. Photos by Craig Ruttle/The Enquirer PHOTO: (Girls looking at snake in aquarium) High promises, lagging results Most charter schools doing worse than urban publics By Jennifer Mrozowski Enquirer staff writer Ohio's charter schools began as an innovative alternative to low-performing public schools: Give kids longer school days, year-round instruction or specialized education, and they might thrive where otherwise they would not. But seven years later, the system is faltering. More than half of 112 charter schools rated by the state for student achievement are labeled in "academic emergency" or "academic watch" - the lowest rankings possible. Charter teachers are some of the least qualified in Ohio, with almost half lacking full certification in their teaching areas. ... Source: Enquirer research[/color] THURSDAY: More and more, corporations are operating charter schools - a look at some with schools in Ohio. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050629/NEWS0102/506290364/1077/rss02
July 1, 200519 yr From the 7/1/05 Enquirer: PHOTO: Gov. Bob Taft signs the state budget Thursday. He was joined by Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering (left); Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland; Rep. Dixie Allen, D-Dayton; and first lady Hope Taft (right). The Associated Press/Chris Stewart Budget includes vouchers for up to 14,000 students Plan must be written for low-achieving schools By Jennifer Mrozowski Enquirer staff writer Thousands of students in low-performing public schools across Ohio could be eligible in two years to receive scholarships for private schools as part a tuition voucher program approved by Gov. Bob Taft on Thursday. Taft included the vouchers in his two-year budget bill. By September, the Ohio Department of Education must begin preparations for the program, which would provide up to 14,000 scholarships to students in grades K-12 beginning in the 2006-07 school year. The vouchers would be for up to $4,250 for students in grades K-8 or up to $5,000 for grades 9-12. For eligibility, students would have to take state achievement tests. Students would qualify for vouchers to a participating private school if they attend a traditional public school or charter school that received the state's worst performance rating - academic emergency - for three years in a row, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. ... E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050701/NEWS01/507010387
July 3, 200519 yr From the AP, 7/3/05: Ohio Voucher Plan For Schools Tripling Associated Press Sunday, July 3, 2005 COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 2 -- Ohio is more than tripling the size of its school voucher program, making it the nation's largest since the practice of using public money for private-school tuition was found constitutional three years ago. The tuition aid, which has been available only in Cleveland since 1996, will allow as many as 14,000 additional students statewide to leave schools that persistently fail academic tests and move to private schools, beginning in the fall of 2006. ... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/02/AR2005070201117.html
July 4, 200519 yr This doesn't seem to be a very popular topic, but I'm going to keep posting in it anyway. From the 7/3/05 Enquirer: School-funding amendment drive heats up By Cindy Kranz Enquirer staff writer The Educate Ohio campaign says it has collected one-third of the signatures needed to place a constitutional amendment on school funding on the November ballot. The campaign is seeking 322,000 signatures by Aug. 1. "Our volunteer effort has only been strengthened by the fact that the legislature and Governor Taft have once again failed to prioritize education in the biennial budget," said former Democratic State Rep. Bryan Flannery of Lakewood, author of the amendment. ... E-mail [email protected] PETITION INFORMATION For more information about the petition drive, go to www.educateohio.com. Or call (513) 831-3190. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050703/NEWS0102/507030369/1058/NEWS01
July 6, 200519 yr From the 7/6/05 Akron Beacon Journal: Charter schools in question Official approved at least 78 schools in 18 months, senator says. She asks the state auditor to investigate legality of the contracts By Doug Oplinger and Dennis J. Willard Beacon Journal staff writers A state lawmaker has asked the state auditor and state school board to investigate whether scores of publicly funded charter schools are operating without legal contracts. Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, said in a briefing Tuesday that she believes the Lucas County Educational Service Center illegally delegated its authority to approve contracts with charter schools to Superintendent Thomas Baker. ... Doug Oplinger can be reached at 330-996-3750 or [email protected]. Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or [email protected]. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/12064068.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
July 9, 200519 yr The state is clamping down on the charters, it seems. I'm not so sure I dig the idea, especially the timing. I applaud the effort to make schools better and to make charter schools more accountable, but I don't see how this accomplishes that. From the AP, 7/8/05: Ohio places limit on new charter schools Budget cap leaves room for only 30 more. About 70 others will not open Associated Press COLUMBUS - About 70 proposed charter schools will not open this year because of a new cap on the schools, the Ohio Department of Education said. Only 30 spots for new schools were allotted in the state budget that Gov. Bob Taft signed last week. About 100 schools were prepared to open when the 2005-06 school year begins in August. The Department of Education will hold a lottery, tentatively set for Aug. 1, to select the 30 schools, spokesman J.C. Benton said Thursday. ... http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/12082910.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news Here's a story about the effect in Cincinnati: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050708/NEWS0102/507080393/1058/NEWS01
July 9, 200519 yr A press release from Educate Ohio, 7/8/05: July 8, 2005 *** PRESS RELEASE *** FLANNERY MEETS WITH OHIO’S BIG CITY MAYORS SEEKS THEIR SUPPORT FOR CAMPAIGN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: MICHAEL GILLIS (216) 533-8542 COLUMBUS, OH – Bryan Flannery, the author of the Educate Ohio Amendment, met today with the mayors of Ohio’s eight largest cities to seek their support for the ongoing Educate Ohio Campaign. The Mayors are now reviewing the merits of the amendment and an endorsement is pending. “The school funding crisis in Ohio is not isolated to just rural areas or urban areas, it is not just a small town problem or a big city problem, it is a problem for everyone in the state. The problem is systemic and the Educate Ohio Amendment will fix it,” Flannery stated after the meeting. “The Mayors were interested in the movement and they asked all the right questions. I look forward to hearing from them soon and hope they will see the wisdom in our efforts.” ... For more details on the Educate Ohio Amendment and the campaign to get it on the November 2005 ballot, go to www.educateohio.com. http://www.educateohio.com/newsreleases/7-8-05.pdf
July 31, 200519 yr From the 7/30/05 PD: School-fix petitions fall short Saturday, July 30, 2005 Reginald Fields Plain Dealer Bureau Columbus - A former state representative pushing an amendment to overhaul school funding would need about as many signatures in the next 11 days as he has collected in the last seven months to get it on the fall ballot. On Friday, Bryan Flannery gave up. "I'm conceding for now," he said. His Educate Ohio amendment needs about 320,000 signatures from registered voters by Aug. 10 to be placed on the November ballot. He has collected just over 160,000, which are not verified. Petitions are still coming in, but Flannery is not optimistic. ... [url=http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/112271614460650.xml&coll=2]http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/112271614460650.xml&coll=2[/url=
August 2, 200519 yr Educate Ohio issued this press release, stating that they'll try again in 2006: EDUCATE OHIO CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE INTO 2006 EFFORT QUALIFIES 44 COUNTIES, HALF-WAY TO OVERALL GOAL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: MICHAEL GILLIS (216) 533-8542 COLUMBUS, OHIO— Former State Rep. Bryan Flannery today announced the Educate Ohio Campaign will continue its effort to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot into 2006 as it appears the effort collected about half of the needed petition signatures by the August 10th deadline. The Campaign was successful in acquiring the signatures to qualify the Educate Ohio Amendment in the 44 counties necessary, indicating broad, statewide support. The Campaign will now continue to collect the remainder of the 322,000+ signatures to qualify it for the November 2006 ballot. The momentum of the campaign has been increasing since its inception in May. Over 6,000 petition circulators will continue to circulate petitions across the state. The all volunteer effort has had over half million hits on its website, www.educateohio.com and has acquired over 100 endorsements from school districts and city and county governments around Ohio. ... For more details on the Educate Ohio Amendment, go to www.educateohio.com. http://www.educateohio.com/newsreleases/7-29-05.pdf
August 5, 200519 yr This story is from the 8/4/05 Akron Beacon Journal, and I haven't seen a follow-up article in any of today's papers: Education forum today in Canton Ohio mayors and superintendents will gather to brainstorm ideas for financing public schools By Marilyn Miller Beacon Journal staff writer Tuesday's school levy failures came as disturbing news to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, even though Akron wasn't on the ballot. Today, he will meet in Canton with other Ohio mayors and superintendents to discuss the mayoral role in public education. The U.S. Conference of Mayors is hosting today's Ohio Education Roundtable at the Canton Marriott McKinley Grand Hotel, 320 Market Ave. S. It's the fifth meeting in a series that provides mayors, superintendents and interested parties in education the chance to talk about school finance and its impact on education. ... Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or [email protected] http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/12300157.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
September 10, 200519 yr From the 9/9/05 PD: Blackwell advances '65-cent' education spending proposal Friday, September 09, 2005 Reginald Fields Plain Dealer Bureau Columbus - Ohio public schools would be forced to spend at least 65 percent of their budgets on classroom instruction under a proposal announced Thursday by Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. Many public-school unions immediately dismissed the plan as an unworkable, cookie-cutter approach. Currently, the state's 612 districts spend about 57 cents of every education dollar in the classroom, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Blackwell, already backing a state budget-limiting amendment for next year, said that if the legislature does not impose this "65-cent solution," he will use a citizen petition to get it on the November 2006 ballot. ... Plain Dealer reporter Julie Carr Smyth contributed to this story. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 614-228-8200 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1126258512248010.xml&coll=2
November 5, 200519 yr Both articles from the 11/3/05 PD: Poll finds Ohioans down on public schools Both blacks, whites higher on charters Thursday, November 03, 2005 Scott Stephens Plain Dealer Reporter The test scores of Ohio's students are up. The state's graduation rate is improving every year. More school districts are excelling, and fewer are failing. So why do Ohioans have such a dim view of public education? That's the question researchers were grappling with Tuesday in the wake of a statewide poll they say shows widespread dissatisfaction with public schools. ... To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4827 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1131013909122321.xml&coll=2 Poll lets Ohioans sound off on public schooling Thursday, November 03, 2005 A poll commissioned by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was based on 1,001 telephone interviews of Ohioans 18 and older Aug. 8-23. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the entire sample but up to 7 percent for some subgroups. The complete report is available at www.edexcellence.net. Here are some of the key findings: Don't throw money at it: Nearly 70 percent of those surveyed said that if the state put more money into public schools, it would "get lost along the way," and most Ohioans said taxpayers aren't getting their money's worth from public schools. ... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1131013828122320.xml&coll=2
November 5, 200519 yr And from the 11/3/05 Community Press: State board takes on school funding BY MICHELLE SHAW | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER The state board of education is done waiting for the state government to figure things out. For the first time, the board has decided that school funding is an issue they now need to handle. During the board of education's summer retreat, leaders decided enough was enough, if school funding was going to change, it was time to get involved. "We had always taken the attitude that we don't have power over (funding)," said Jane Sonenshein, District 10 board member. "We always looked at that as the legislators' job." ... [email protected] http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/NEWS01/511030301/1002/RSS01
November 6, 200519 yr From the 11/4/05 AP: Some districts push minor cutbacks to protect funding Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio - Some school districts are fighting anti-tax sentiment by proposing minor tax cuts to stave off future efforts to reduce district funding. Educators are using a law that allows only one attempt to roll back a school levy every five years. By pitching their own tax cut amounting to a few thousand dollars, then urging voters to reject it, districts are safe for half a decade from more serious cutbacks. "We're working within the system to protect what we've got," said Tom York, superintendent of Edgewood city schools in southwestern Ohio. ... ON THE NET Department of Education: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/ Ohio School Boards Association: http://www.osba-ohio.org/ http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/13083897.htm
November 25, 200519 yr Here's an idea. From ThisWeek Clintonville, 11/17/05: 'Urban homestead' bill includes vouchers, education TIFs Thursday, November 17, 2005 By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Staff Writer Four central Ohio representatives have introduced "urban homestead" legislation that would create "education TIFs," neighborhood security patrols and fully funded education vouchers for homeowners in blighted neighborhoods in the state's "Big Eight" school districts. The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Larry Wolpert (R-Hilliard) conceived the proposal during statewide hearings last year on land use policy. "This is all new ground for us," Wolpert said. "It has been very well-received by the Republican caucus, but the issue will be to refine it in committee to make it really workable. It's so complex, this is where the committee process is great, because you have so many people coming in and addressing each piece of it." ... http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=Clintonville&story=thisweeknews/111705/Clintonville/News/111705-News-47707.html
November 27, 200519 yr Wolpert is joined by fellow sponsors Jim McGregor (R-Gahanna), Jon Peterson (R-Delaware) and Larry Flowers (R-Canal Winchester). Urban homesteads could be established in block-by-block neighborhoods that have suffered from "blight," defined in the bill as areas that during the past 50 years have seen an increase of 30 percent in violent crime, 50 percent in poverty and a loss of 50 percent of its population. Someone care to explain how 4 white suburban Republicans would know anything about "urban blight."
November 28, 200519 yr From ThisWeek Big Walnut, 11/20/05: COUNTYWIDE FORUM Ohio school funding called 'forced bankruptcy' Sunday, November 20, 2005 By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Contributor A countywide forum on school finances Nov. 10 produced a grim assessment of school financing by a member of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. "Ohio's school funding system is basically a forced bankruptcy system," Dick Maxwell told Delaware County school officials at the event. If a school district does not pass operating levies, it eventually will go bankrupt, Maxwell said. "Simply because as property values rise, you receive less and less state aid and you'll need to constantly pass a certain millage to fill that hole," he said. ... http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=Sunbury&story=thisweeknews/112005/Sunbury/News/112005-News-50630.html
December 2, 200519 yr From Cox News Service, 11/29/05: Charters' legality challenged Battle reaches Ohio Supreme Court today Cox News Service COLUMBUS | Almost half of the $441 million the state is expected to pay charter schools this year will go to schools with Ohio's lowest academic rating, including three large online institutions serving almost 9,000 students. Dayton is the nation's top charter school market, with 22 percent of all schoolchildren attending 33 charter schools, all of which have opened since 1998. Ohio's 279 charter schools serve about 70,000 kids, or about 3 percent of the state's schoolchildren. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1129ohcharters.html
December 3, 200519 yr From the 11/30/05 Akron Beacon Journal: Big divide in charter arguments Public school advocates and academy supporters in total disagreement before Ohio Supreme Court By Dennis J. Willard and Doug Oplinger Beacon Journal staff writers COLUMBUS - On even the most basic issue -- whether charter schools are public -- the two sides disagreed. And they found little common ground thereafter Tuesday as lawyers for and against charter schools made their cases in a hearing before the Ohio Supreme Court that at times was highly argumentative. At issue is the constitutionality of 297 charter schools in Ohio, and the $444.5 million in state funds they will receive this year. The schools enroll more than 66,000 students. In 2001, a coalition led by the Ohio Federation of Teachers -- Ohio's second-largest teachers union -- filed a suit saying charter schools are unconstitutional. ... Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or [email protected]. Doug Oplinger can be reached at 330-996-3750, or [email protected] http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13290343.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
December 13, 200519 yr From the 12/6/05 PD: Blackwell's school plan could lop 100,000 jobs from public payroll Non-teaching unions feel threatened Tuesday, December 06, 2005 Reginald Fields Plain Dealer Bureau Columbus - A proposal that would force public schools to spend more money in the classroom could also push about 100,000 non-teaching jobs - many of them union positions - into the private sector, said a state official backing the idea. Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell said the jobs would be shifted "from the public sector and off the tax-rolls and into the private sector and supporting the tax-rolls." Critics, however, say the plan will bust labor unions and lead to reduced wages. The "65-cent Solution" - a policy goal being considered in 16 states - is the latest brainstorm for fixing Ohio's troubled school funding system. It would require districts to spend at least 65 percent of their operating funds in the classroom - for such costs as teachers and textbooks. ... To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 614-228-8200 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1133861725107040.xml&coll=2 From the 12/7/05 Middletown Journal: Group presents dialogue structure Visual system helps financial discussions Grassroots movements to change school funding in Ohio can come from just about anywhere: a church, a rotary club, a group of citizens or a school district, said Ronald Bickert, a former superintendent in Beavercreek. And now, a nonprofit group called the Ohio Public School Dialogue, led by Bickert, puts all the resources needed into a unique format. “Everyone likes board games,” Bickert said. “This is sort of like that.” ... To learn more about OPSD contact Bickert at (937) 329-1458. Contact Carrie Whitaker at (513) 705-2845, or e-mail her at [email protected]. http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/12/07/mj1207finance.html
December 18, 200519 yr From the 12/13/05 Dayton Daily News: Dayton may block vouchers Most high school, new kindergarten students not eligible By Scott Elliott Dayton Daily News DAYTON | Dayton likely will be the only Ohio district in which all incoming kindergarten students and most high school freshmen will not be allowed to receive vouchers to escape low-scoring public schools. And students attending low-scoring charter schools also will not be eligible. Ohio Department of Education officials, in a meeting for Dayton private schools Monday, said the school district's peculiar method for assigning students to schools may force the state to treat students here differently. ... For more about the voucher program, called EdChoice, go to edchoice.ohio.gov. Contact Scott Elliott at 225-2485. http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1213voucher.html From the 12/13/05 Enquirer: Ohio EdChoice voucher program, if popular, may resort to a lottery By Jennifer Mrozowski Enquirer staff writer EAST PRICE HILL - Ohio might have to hold a lottery to award tuition vouchers to students who want to attend private schools next year if the nearly 30,000 eligible students apply, state education officials said Monday. But parents won't know if their children will receive a voucher until June or July because the state has yet to register participating private schools or accept student applications. An Ohio Department of Education official discussed the timeline for implementation of the voucher program, called the Ohio EdChoice Scholarship Program, at St. Lawrence Elementary School. ... E-mail [email protected] VOUCHER TIMELINE January: Registration begins for private schools interested in accepting students who have state tuition vouchers for 2006-07. March to May: Application process begins for students. June to July: Parents are expected to be notified if their children have received a voucher. For information, go to www.ode.state.oh.us/School_Finance/ecs/ Source: Education Dept. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051213/NEWS0102/512130334/1058/NEWS01
December 18, 200519 yr this kind half-azzed response from the state to fixing the schools will not work. in the end the funding will still remain too patently uneven. the gov and the ohio legislators have no nerve or guts to do the right thing. siiigh, i see this mess will not be resolved for a long time, if ever. ah well, at least they are talking about it a lot, that is something.
December 23, 200519 yr From the 12/22/05 PD: Ohio's aid closing gap for schools, report says Thursday, December 22, 2005 Ellen Jan Kleinerman Plain Dealer Reporter Ohio continues to narrow the funding gap between school districts that serve rich and poor students, according to a national study released today. The Education Trust reports that poor districts in Ohio received an average of $54 more per student in state and local funding than affluent districts in 2002-03, the latest figures available. Federal funds were not included in the study. That's a substantial improvement. Ohio districts with poorer students received $394 less per child in 2000 and $667 less in 1997 than those in well-off areas. ... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1135247514222690.xml&coll=2
January 7, 200619 yr From the 1/6/06 Dayton Daily News: Ohio voucher system may be on its own after Florida ruling Decision may affect case before Ohio Supreme Court By Scott Elliott Dayton Daily News Ohio's sole partner in the world of statewide voucher programs may be forced off the dance floor. On Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court invalidated a small statewide program through which about 700 children received public dollars to pay for private school tuition. The 5-2 ruling could leave Ohio's program, which goes into full effect in the fall, as the only remaining statewide voucher plan that allows students to attend private schools at public expense simply because their prior schools were low performing. Florida and Utah provide other vouchers for handicapped and poor children. ... Contact Scott Elliott at 225-2485. http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0106vouchers.html
January 8, 200619 yr Intelligent-design war evolves State school board may revisit policy in light of ruling Sunday, January 08, 2006 Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Opponents of Ohio’s science standards are urging the state Board of Education to scrap the 3-year-old guidelines, arguing that they promote the teaching of intelligent design in highschool biology class. Critics hope the board will reconsider the long-debated standards this week at its first meeting since a federal judge outlawed instruction of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in the Dover, Pa., school district. "I think the ruling is a wake-up call to our board that we are out of compliance, at least in that judge’s opinion," said Robin C. Hovis, a board member from Millersburg. Full story at: http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/01/08/20060108-D1-02.html
January 9, 200619 yr From the AP, 1/9/06: Intelligent design's critics press fight They want Ohio school board to adjust class guide By the Associated Press COLUMBUS | Differences among members of the State Board of Education over the teaching of evolution are escalating as the board prepares to meet for the first time since a court struck down a Pennsylvania plan that required an alternative approach. The board meets on Tuesday — its first since U.S. District Judge John E. Jones in Harrisburg, Pa., delivered a stinging attack on the Dover Area School Board. Jones said Dover's decision to insert intelligent design into the science curriculum violated the constitutional separation of church and state. Critics of the Ohio curriculum hope the state board will take up the standards this week. full story at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0109ohevolve.html
January 11, 200619 yr From the 1/10/06 Akron Beacon Journal: Charter schools drain top districts Students transferring to weaker programs By Doug Oplinger and Dennis J. Willard Beacon Journal staff writers COLUMBUS - Publicly funded charter schools, initially created to let children escape poorly performing urban districts, will enroll 3,000 students this year from the state's highest- achieving public schools. Many of those students are rejecting the state's top districts to enroll in online charters, which have some of the poorest academic ratings in the state. The phenomenon raises questions about the underlying state policy for the rapidly growing experiment, which this year will cost taxpayers $476 million: Is the purpose of charter schools to give children a chance to escape failing schools? Is it to provide parents with school choice, regardless of how well their local district performs academically? ... Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or [email protected]. Doug Oplinger can be reached at 330-996-3750, or [email protected]. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/13590264.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news
January 11, 200619 yr INTELLIGENT-DESIGN DEBATE In 9-8 vote, state panel retains science rules Judge’s Pennsylvania edict casts shadow over meeting Wednesday, January 11, 2006 Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH After two hours of sharp exchanges and accusations, the State Board of Education yesterday narrowly rejected an attempt to drop state guidelines that critics say promote the teaching of intelligent design. The board, by a vote of 9-8, refused to reconsider Ohio’s high-school biology standards less than a month after a federal judge outlawed the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in a Pennsylvania school district. Martha W. Wise, a board member from Avon, sought the resolution, arguing that Ohio’s 10 th-grade science standards are flawed and could subject the state to costly litigation. She said it had been the intent of at least two board members to get intelligent design into Ohio’s standards. Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/01/11/20060111-A1-00.html
January 13, 200619 yr I don't have the time or energy to debunk intelligent design at the moment. Newsweek and Time ran some able ones a few months back. But man, this is very, very dangerous for our nation. We are rapidly falling behind in economic competitiveness compared to Asia, India, and, to an extent, Europe. Math and science skills are absolutely crucial if the United States is to remain a superpower. And along comes a burgeoning movement to undermine the teaching of actual science in our schools. I just have this sickening feeling that in 50 years the U.S. is going be to the world as Mississippi is to the U.S. today -- less educated, relatively lower incomes, and less than a cutting-edge reputation.
