Ohio Senate leadership disapproves of some House restrictions to public school funding
Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)
Ohio Senate leadership has given public school districts some hope that their version of the state budget will provide better financial support for education.
Cleveland Heights/University Heights City School District (CHUH) prioritizes musical expression for its students.
'I'm part of band, and we go on trips and we play music, we perform,' CHUH freshman Kennedi Brown said. 'We also do a lot of fundraisers, and it's really fun.'
For the flutist, she has been waiting for a trip for musicians to go to New York.
'We do master classes, which actually enhance our playing and it makes us better players,' she said.
Brown, Emmanuel Gutierrez, and a group of students and educators came to Columbus to represent the school, testifying before the Ohio Senate Education Committee about the importance of education funding.
The district would have received $7 million from the state under the expected full phase-in of Ohio's Fair School Funding formula. But under cuts in the Ohio House version of the education budget, they would only receive $700,000.
Asked if they fear that trip won't happen if school funding is cut, Brown responded, 'Absolutely.'
She said she worries the state will squeeze school budgeting even more, through a House proposal to cap districts' rainy day funds to 30% — and refunding anything above that back to the taxpayer.
The Senate Finance Committee is currently reviewing hundreds of amendments to the House's passed budget, and although the chamber's budget isn't out yet, Senate leadership has already said that the 30% cap isn't enough.
'I, personally, think 30% is too low if we were to do a carryover balance cap,' Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said.
A week later, he added that the caucus would 'definitely' need to have a conversation as to 'whether we want to have a cap at all.'
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, who helped come up with the idea, defended the cap.
'Schools are just sitting on a lot more money than they can spend,' Huffman claimed.
According to the House GOP, schools have carried over $10.5 billion, which should be going back to the residents. The bill would require counties to cut property tax rates, distributing unspent cash back.
'The extra money that you have, that you didn't need to spend and you don't need to start your year — while your other taxes are coming in — we're going to reduce the real estate taxes in that school district on a pro rata basis,' the speaker said.
School district treasurers and county auditors have warned that the plan to cap reserves would cause major problems. They say it would throw the most basic aspects of money management for schools into complete disarray, punish districts for being good stewards of public funds, and make financial planning, saving for projects, and managing risk all much more difficult.
The Cleveland Heights students hope that the Senate will follow through on public education funding.
'Losing school funding could cut down on all of our stuff in the orchestra and everything in our school,' Gutierrez said.
The substitute bill is expected to be announced in early June.
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