Budget update
The Ohio House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education held several hearings this month on House Bill (HB) 166, the state budget bill that includes the school-funding formula and education policy changes. Many individuals and organizations testified on the bill, including school board members, superintendents and treasurers.
Much of the bill’s discussion centered on proposals that would change Ohio’s school-funding formula, one by Gov. Mike DeWine and another by Reps. Robert R. Cupp (R-Lima) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson).
DeWine’s proposal would guarantee each school district receive the aggregate amount of state funding it received in fiscal year 2019. It also would appropriate an additional $250 million in fiscal year 2020 and another $300 million in fiscal year 2021 for student wellness and success initiatives in schools.
Meanwhile, the proposal crafted by Cupp and Patterson with the help of 16 superintendents and treasurers would create an entirely new funding formula. While the full details of the plan have not yet been released, House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) expressed concerns about aspects of their formula and also questioned whether sufficient time exists for the proposal to be passed prior to the June 30 budget deadline.
What’s next?
The subcommittee will send its recommendations to the House Finance Committee, which is expected to reconvene later this month to consider amendments to the legislation. The committee will make many changes to the bill, pass it and send it to the 99-member House for a full vote, which likely will occur in the early weeks of May.
The budget bill then goes to the Senate, where hearings will continue and testimony by members is strongly encouraged.
Budget resources
— Read what Householder said about the school-funding formula proposals.
— Read more about the school-funding formula proposed by Cupp and Patterson, including district-by-district simulations.
— Read more about the school-funding formula proposed by the governor, including district-by-district simulations.
— Read OSBA’s testimony on DeWine’s budget proposal and the Cupp-Patterson proposal.