School Funding Matters

Giving Ohioans a voice in shaping the future of public education
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A decisive moment for Ohio schools

Ohio's public schools are at a critical juncture. The next few months could help determine whether all our children will be prepared to succeed in the new global economy - or whether opportunity will be stifled for some by inadequate and inequitable resources.

With state leadership actively debating changes to the school funding system, Ohio citizens have a unique opportunity to decide what kind of schools they want and how to pay for those schools.

New: Ohio Senate approves different funding plan

The Ohio Senate has taken a different approach to school funding than the model approved by the House, relying on weighted student funding (or per-pupil funding) instead of the governor's evidence-based model.

Learn more about these two models in the School Funding Matters comparison.

Read our review of the Senate plan. 

Ohio House approves revised funding plan

The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a school funding plan with improvements that strengthen Gov. Ted Strickland's proposal and address some of its shortcomings.

Learn more about the House plan.

Learn more about how the House version compares to the original.

Read our review of the House plan.

Read our review of the governor's plan

What changes are needed in Ohio's school funding system?

School Funding Matters believes two guiding principles are essential to creating a more equitable and efficient system for funding Ohio schools:

School funding should be based on education strategies that work. The amount of funding allocated for public education should be determined by a method that relies on research into successful practices that have led to student achievement, an approach known as the evidence-based model for costing out.

Learn more about the evidence-based approach.

Schools should have a reliable source of funding. Districts need a funding mechanism that allows them to keep pace with inflation and spend less energy seeking passage of school levies. Current law and state procedures unduly handicap school districts.

Learn more about Ohio tax law and House Bill 920.

What changes to school funding did the governor propose?

The governor's plan: Gov. Ted Strickland has proposed broad changes to Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system - changes that are intrinsically tied to larger reforms in public education. The plan draws on an evidence-based approach to address six major components of the education system.

Learn more about Gov. Strickland's education plan.

"Effective Funding for a 21st Century System of Education": One of the six components in the governor's plan addresses the effects of current tax law and increases the state share of the cost of education.

Learn more about Gov. Strickland's school funding proposals.

What happens next?

The legislature's role: The Ohio General Assembly must resolve conflicting spending plans to come up with a final budget, which must be adopted by July 1.

What can I do?

The next few weeks will be crucial for Ohio public education, its citizens and its 612 school districts. With you and others like you across the state speaking up for our children and our future, now is the time to achieve meaningful school finance reform.

Speak up: The fate of school funding reform now lies in the hands of Ohio legislators. Your input can help them make decisions that reflect the public's priorities for how our money is spent.

Find out how you can make a difference.

Join forces: Citizen and community groups, activists, educators, business leaders and others across the state are moving to take advantage of this historic opportunity. Together, they are creating unprecedented momentum for change. Your actions will be more powerful if they are joined with those of other Ohioans.

Learn more about what others are doing.

Connect with other Ohioans to let your voice be heard on the future of public education. 

 

On our site...

A new school funding system for Ohio

  • Strickland education plan
  • More on evidence-based funding 
  • Where's the evidence?
  • What works, what could be better 
  • The House revisions
  • Public opinion

Ohio's current funding system

  • How it works
  • School funding & tax law
  • How districts fare 
  • Public opinion

Other models for school funding

  • Four models for estimating costs
  • Evidence-based model 
  • Why evidence-based is best for Ohio

News

Report from creators of evidence-based school funding model In a report released April 10, researchers Allan Odden and Lawrence Picus call Ohio's education plan a ‘major step forward' and outline changes that could modify funding levels.

Poll: Strickland's education changes get broad support, but public wary on funding proposals Ohioans strongly support many components of Gov. Ted Strickland's education reform plan, but the governor's office still has a long way to go in raising general awareness of the proposals and building support for how he'd pay for them, a recent poll shows. 

Ohio Evidence-Based Model Gov. Ted Strickland has released details on proposed changes to Ohio's school funding system as part of his executive budget for the next two fiscal years. An excerpt from his office's budget analysis outlines how he plans to use an Ohio evidence-based model (OEBM) to create a system that is "both effective and equitable."

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What's Up with School Funding Read the current issue of the school funding newsletter from our partner, Education Voters of Ohio.