The House Education Committee has reconvened and is getting ready to examine the state’s school financing and regulations as it sets legislative priorities on the subject. The Ohio General Assembly has also started budget talks on education.
The committee, which includes a number of former educators, has a new chair in state representative Sarah Fowler Arthur, R-Ashtabula. As she outlined her goals for the committee over the next two years, the former member of the Ohio State Board of Education and advocate for homeschooling concentrated on disenfranchised parents and the removal of what she perceives to be excessive regulation in the state education system.
During last week’s committee meeting, Fowler Arthur stated, “I believe that over the past two or three decades, Ohio’s education system has been burdened with bureaucracy and red tape, and often those have come in the form of well-intentioned policies, regulations, and laws, unintentionally stealing the joy of learning from many Ohio students and teachers.”
State Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, a fellow committee member, also raised concerns about the overabundance of responsibilities, specifically for teachers in the state system, stating that the numerous responsibilities granted to them by laws and regulations, including screenings, parent reporting, health intervention plans, and school safety plans, have left educators with a lot on their plate.
“We must remind ourselves that we have created all this additional work for teachers, and again, it’s good things,” Bird told the committee, adding that we need to temper some of our expectations and any laws we consider adding to their list.
According to Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, our true policy priorities are realized through the budget and with what the legislature collectively chooses to fund, so Fowler Arthur also expressed hope that the committee would consider the potential flexibilities that we can extend to our local schools and districts.
Early last week, Governor Mike DeWine unveiled his executive budget proposal, which called for $12.6 billion in fiscal year 2027 and $12.4 billion in state support for schools in 2026.
It involves the execution of the last two years of the Fair School Funding Plan, a public school funding model designed to address the actual costs of educating a child in each district rather than providing a one-size-fits-all allocation of funds that ignores the specific requirements of various school districts.
However, it is uncertain if it would remain in the parliamentary budget because certain members of the Republican supermajority have voiced doubts about carrying out the proposal.
Legislative Republicans have supported the state’s backing of the voucher program for private schools. Both the recommendation to fund the public school funding model and universal access to the voucher program are supported by DeWine’s budget.
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In addition to applauding DeWine for including the Fair School financing Plan in the executive proposal, public school activists criticized the education budget for failing to take inflation into account in the public school financing model and for reducing funding guarantees in certain districts.
DeWine’s proposal, which is based on 2022 education costs, would result in the state supporting public schools at a lower level than it did in 1997, when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the school funding system was unconstitutional, according to the education advocacy group All In For Ohio Kids.
“As a parent, I can’t base my grocery budget on 2022 prices. How can our lawmakers budget for our school districts using 2022 costs?” Jason Marshall, a parent leader for All In for Ohio Kids and a parent in the Pickerington Local School District, stated in a statement. As a result, in the face of skyrocketing property values, school districts like mine will have less money from the state to work with and will have to ask voters to hike their property taxes.
Stephen Dackin, the director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, stated during last week’s House Finance Committee discussions on the executive budget that while DeWine’s recommendations are a good place to start, he and the department do believe that some aspects of the funding formula could be changed. One such element is the Temporary Transitional Aid Guarantee, a state education funding provision that ensures that funding levels for any district don’t fall below the funding base from the previous year.
According to DeWine’s executive budget, that guarantee will be reduced by 5% over the next two years, reaching 90% by 2027.
Fowler Arthur also brought up the federal uncertainties around the effectiveness and future of the U.S. Department of Education before the House Education Committee. However, she was upbeat about possible reforms, such as those that could be implemented by a Trump executive order-created entity led by Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
According to Fowler Arthur, “I think we’re all expecting at least some level of change to the federal K-12 education scene,” as the Department of Government Efficiency examines federal policy closely. Therefore, perhaps now is the appropriate moment for Ohio to follow suit.
According to Fowler Arthur, she intends to hold weekly meetings of the House Education Committee until Easter. As the House negotiates to create its own budget paper, the committee will consider the budget’s education measures as part of their work. In order to develop a single, cohesive budget that is prepared for the governor’s approval by July 1, the Senate will also draft a document that must be reconciled with the governor’s suggestions.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.