Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Proposal: Change constitution to help schools
Any major proposal to make changes in the way schools are funded would spark a controversy in most states, but a plan announced today to amend Ohio’s constitution in a way that would fundamentally change school finance at an unknown cost is sure to fire people up.
Already, the state’s big city mayors, who helped spark the talks that led to this proposal, have backed away from the final plan.
More about this story later today, but for now here is the press release from a group called The Campaign for Ohio’s Future:
EDUCATION ADVOCATES VOW TO GET IT RIGHT FOR OHIO’S FUTURE Consortium takes first step toward Ohio constitutional amendment to fix school funding
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A consortium dedicated to strengthening education and economic opportunities in Ohio submitted to Attorney General Marc Dann today a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a high-quality education as a fundamental right for Ohio’s children through the implementation of a new school funding model. The consortium consists of 12 statewide education groups.
The proposed amendment campaign, Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future, supports developing a well-educated work force to help stimulate good jobs and restore Ohio’s competitiveness. It also would establish a new accountability structure at the state level to ensure high-quality educational opportunities are available across Ohio in a cost-effective manner.
“The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled four times that Ohio’s school funding formula is unconstitutional,” said Jim Betts, spokesperson for the Campaign for Ohio’s Future, representing the consortium of grassroots and professional education organizations. “Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future puts Ohio’s children first by creating a system that determines what a high-quality education would cost based on student need and paying for that education without an unfair reliance on property taxes.”
Because Ohio’s current school funding formula relies heavily on property taxes, it frequently forces local districts to go back to the ballot to keep school programs intact. Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future reduces reliance on property taxes and decreases the need for local levies.
Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future would:
Amend the Ohio Constitution to establish that a high-quality education is a fundamental right for every Ohio child
Determine levels of funding based on student need for all types of students, including special education, vocational education, gifted or economically disadvantaged
Eliminate “phantom revenue” of untaxed property value calculations by the state, thereby reducing the need for local tax levies
Exempt Ohio seniors and disabled citizens from property taxes on the first $40,000 of the market value of their homes
Create an independent commission appointed by Ohio’s top elected leaders - the governor, speaker of the House and Senate president - that monitors districts to ensure that high-quality educational opportunities are available to students in a cost-effective manner
Direct the independent commission to report annually to the governor, General Assembly, State Board of Education and the public
Create and maintain a permanent local government fund to support police and fire departments, libraries and other local government services that support Ohio schools, our citizens and Ohio’s ability to compete for jobs
Establish a system that ensures total state funding for Ohio’s public institutions of higher education receive no less than the amount provided in 2007 and increases annually based on the state’s personal income percentage.
The attorney general’s office will have 10 days to respond to the petition Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future submits, ruling whether it accurately reflects the proposed amendment. Once the attorney general approves the petition language submitted today, and the Ohio Ballot Board certifies the petition for distribution, the consortium will kick off a vigorous petition campaign across Ohio to collect enough valid signatures to put the measure on the statewide November 2007 ballot.
“Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future is a win for Ohio’s students and schools, it’s a win for our communities and it’s a win for our business owners who need to hire the best and brightest to stay competitive in the marketplace,” said Betts. “I urge all Ohioans to help us spread the word about this critical constitutional amendment that will ensure stronger schools, a stronger economy and a better quality of life in Ohio.”
For more information about Getting It Right for Ohio’s Future, please visit www.rightforohio.org.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: School Funding
Comments
By Dayton Business Man
January 28, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this
It seems like we’re on the right path. How much time will this take?? It seems like this could be another bureaucracy if we’re not careful. FOR THE MOST PART big centralized govt leads to inefficency and ineffectiveness. Our school system is a prime expample. Until charters came on the scene DPS was comfortable with the status quo. Now due to parents having the right to exercise choice, DPS has been forced to COMPETE and DPS has become a better school district for it. This issue isn’t about charter vs traditional public schools, it’s about ALL of our kids recieving a great public education. Question: I’m thinking about sending my daugheter to C-J. It’s going to cost me aroung $6500 per year. Charter school recieve about that amount and DPS recieves around $11,000 per pupil. How is it that schools can operate on $6500 per pupil and DPS is finding it difficult to operate on $11,000 per pupil??By Oldprof
January 18, 2007 7:18 PM | Link to this
Y’know, after John Husted’s letter to the editor this week extolling the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of consolidating 911 services, I guess he’s seen the light of centralized government services at last. May we presume that he’ll repent from his mistaken devotion to charters, and instead advocate for a single state-wide system of public education? Think of the cost savings and efficiency!By Eric
January 18, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this
Sounds like a road to wealth distribution to me. Lets take money from communities that pay much higher taxes and give it to communities who pay little if any taxes at all.By dps teacher
January 18, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
Louisiana is not a good example to use when looking for a more equitable way to fund education here in Ohio. Louisiana consistently rates the lowest fifth of the states for its educational systems. Maybe Vermont or Utah? I believe there should be a mix between income taxes, sales taxes, and property taxes (both personal and corporate) when it comes to funding with some kind of equation that will ensure that poorer districts are funded equitably. Easier said than done. I also believe that there needs to be some consolidation of the smaller districts, but that is unlikely to happen especially after what I have seen with the proposal of a central dispatch center for Montgomery County. Everybody wants their piece of the pie and do not take into consideration that their neighbors might benefit if their pie is a little smaller. Greed is all it is.By null
January 18, 2007 8:23 AM | Link to this
Taxing homeowners is unfair and unequitable in paying for Ohio’s education of our children. Ohio residents pay more real estate taxes than most states. A homeowner who owns a $150,000 home in Louisiana pays approximately $160.00 per year in comparison to Ohio residents nearly $3,000 per year for same home valueBy Mary
January 18, 2007 7:34 AM | Link to this
Sounds good on paper, but lacks details, priorities and fiscal reality. I can see why the mayors have pulled back their support and are concerned about other priorities adversely impacted by this approach - like seniors and food banks. One version of the amendment I have seen includes a lot more than the basic educational needs. How are we goung to pay for it all? “old prof”, colleges have generally been fiscally irresponsible and have got away with it so long they just do’t get it. Their costs have far outpaced inflation. I guess if you have enough rich kids who want to go to college or middle class kids who can go into a lifetime of debt, not a problem.By Oldprof
January 17, 2007 7:08 PM | Link to this
Wow. We’re going to maintain our addiction to inherently unfair property taxes while measuring higher ed. funding at current rates. The fairer form of taxation is an earned income tax: it collects from those who are currently prospering, and avoids penalizing farms and other property-heavy businesses, as well as seniors and others on fixed incomes. Higher ed. (like all other levels) is at the bottom of a long decline in state support; to rectify, the levels should be set at 1960, pro-rated for inflation. The proposal is well-intentioned and has some good ideas, but it could use some simplicity and objectivity.