Update on the State Biennial Budget Bill
June 17, 2021
We’d like to update you regarding the state budget process.
The House has passed the Fair School Funding Plan in their version of the state budget bill. In the Senate passed version, the Senate did NOT approve the Fair School Funding Plan, but rather, they came up with their own formula for funding schools.
The conference committee will now be convened to reconcile the differences between the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the bill.
Here is a brief comparison of the estimated increases in state revenue that Ontario Local Schools will receive under the House-version vs. the Senate-version:
|
| 2021-2022
| 2022-2023
|
|
|
|
|
| House
| $659,277
| $659,277
|
|
|
| $225,670
|
| Total =
|
| $884,947
|
|
|
|
|
| Senate | $189,387 | $189,387
|
|
|
| $233,097
|
| Total = |
| $462,463
|
|
|
|
|
| Difference
| $469,890
| $462,463
|
In summary, you can see that Ontario Local Schools would greatly benefit from the House-version of the Fair School Funding Plan, which takes into account what it actually costs to educate a student. The House’s version clearly ensures that Ohio finally has a constitutionally sound, equitable and adequate funding system for our schools. The Senate-version is just a continuation of poor and inequitable funding and bad policy.
Important Next Steps
The bottom line is, if the Senate-version is passed, it will cost the Ontario taxpayer more in property taxes in the future because more frequent and higher school levies will be necessary.
We have personally spoken to Senator Mark Romanchuk. His response was that he is going to support whatever the Senate leadership presents to him. Please tell Senator Romanchuk to do what is best for the Ontario taxpayer, instead of what the Senate leadership is asking, and encourage him to support the House-version of the Fair School Funding Plan.
Please contact the following Senators as soon as possible and encourage them to PASS THE HOUSE-VERSION OF THE FAIR SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN. Please click here for a sample letter. Here are their names and email addresses:
Senator Matt Dolan [email protected]
Senator Louis Blessing III [email protected]
Senator Mark Romanchuk [email protected]
In addition to the above outreach activities, the Board of Education recently this letter to Speaker of the House Robert Cupp, thanking him for his unwavering commitment and years of dedication to craft a fair, equitable and adequate approach to school funding for Ohio’s children. Speaker Cupp knows he is supported by our Board of Education and Administration as he fights for the Fair School Funding Plans.
Lisa Carmichael Randy Harvey
SUPERINTENDENT TREASURER