Ohio's school funding problems impact all kinds of districts. Across the state, urban, suburban and rural districts alike are scrambling to meet budgets. Many are forced to make cuts to busing, athletics, staff - even instruction - and must go back to voters with levies year after year simply to keep pace with inflation.
Financial problems affect schools regardless of how they perform. At least 15 districts with ratings of Excellent on the 2006-07 state report cards put levies on the ballot in August or November 2008.
To truly understand the effects of the current school funding system, it's essential to know the stories of real districts. School Funding Matters will feature a number of districts in difficult financial positions over the coming months.
Read about:
Suburban district dealing with rapid growth: Hilliard City
Urban district losing students: Youngstown City
A rating of excellent at risk: Milford Exempted Village Schools
Suburban district dealing with rapid growth: Hilliard City
As the ninth largest school district in Ohio, the Hilliard City School District in Franklin County serves more than 15,100 students. It includes portions of Columbus, Dublin and five surrounding townships and is characterized as a suburban district with very high median income and very low poverty by the Ohio Department of Education.
Like many Ohio suburban districts, rapid growth contributes to its school funding crisis. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, the number of residents under age 18 grew by 111% between 1990 and 2000.
- A 9.5 mill school levy that would have raised $22.8 million annually failed in March 2008.
- Superintendent Dale McVey announced a plan to cut $4.5 million from the district's budget.
- The district will lose 93 positions for the coming school year.
- Cuts have affected class sizes, producing fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms with up to 30 students per teacher.
School board member David Lundregan called the cuts "disturbing" and noted that "the cuts run deep and go across the whole district."
In an attempt to limit the damage caused by these cuts, Hilliard City plans to go back to voters with a levy in November.
Hilliard City School District
News coverage
Urban district losing students: Youngstown City
The Youngstown City School district in the northeastern corner of Ohio in Mahoning County is one of the state's "Urban 8" school districts. Youngstown enrolls approximately 7,700 students, nearly 86% of whom are economically disadvantaged.
The district is classified as "major urban/very high poverty" by the Ohio Department of Education.
Each year Youngstown City Schools lose about $26 million in state dollars from more than 3,500 students who have chosen charter, voucher and open-enrollment school options.
Youngstown City Schools declared Fiscal Emergency in November 2006.
- Since then, three 9.5 mill school levies have failed.
- The school board laid off 80 teachers in 2007-08.
- After the most recent levy failure in March 2008, the board laid off 76 more teachers for the 2008-09 school year.
- Other cuts include administrative, clerical and custodial positions.
Superintendent Wendy Webb remains optimistic, but acknowledges that the administration must balance the need for cuts with their goal of minimally impacting student learning.
Youngstown City Schools
A rating of excellent at risk: Milford Exempted Village Schools
The story of Milford Exempted Village School District is not unlike that of several districts throughout the state. Neighboring Cincinnati in Clermont County, the Milford area has seen leaps in population growth over the last decade. In the past five years, four new elementary schools were built to accommodate the influx of families with school-age children, and plans for renovating the high school are under way. Already, these new buildings are bursting at the seams as the district’s affordable homes and academic achievement continue to attract more residents. Identified by the Ohio Department of Education as an urban/suburban district with high median income, the district has earned a state rating of excellent for six out of seven years.
- Although bond issues for construction passed in 2001 and 2007, three operating levies have failed: 5.6 mills in November 2006, 5.6 mills in February 2007 and 5.9 mills in March 2008.
- Financial woes recently landed Milford on the Department of Education’s “Fiscal Caution” list.
- Milford’s history of failed levies has led to deep cuts. After the November 2006 levy failed, the school board was forced to reduce busing, requiring all high school students and students living within two miles of their school to provide their own transportation.
- Other cuts include the closure of elementary libraries, loss of instructional aides and kindergarten aides, and elimination of student intervention and extension (gifted) programs.
- More cuts are on the horizon, including reductions related to technology, maintenance, security, athletics, staff and instructional materials such as textbooks and assessment tools.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Farrell notes that the quality of Milford’s excellent education is definitely at risk in the long term.
Milford will return to the voters with a 5.5 mil school levy in November of 2008.
Milford schools
News Reports
Anthony Wayne Local School District
The Anthony Wayne Local School District in Northeast Ohio's Lucas County was formed when the citizens and school boards of the three small neighboring districts Monclova, Waterville and Whitehouse decided to consolidate. Today, the Anthony Wayne school community includes six buildings, more than 4,100 students and hundreds of staff members, within 77 square miles serving six townships. Anthony Wayne Schools are described by the Ohio Department of Education as suburban, high-median income schools and rated as excellent.
Like many suburban districts, rapid population growth and related building needs have led to repeated levy requests.
- After passing some large bond issues and operating levies several years ago, Anthony Wayne Local Schools failed to pass a 5.6 mill levy in November 2006, a 4.5 mil levy in May 2007 and a 6.5 mil levy in March 2008.
- In its most recent attempt in August 2008, voters supported a 3.3 mill, five-year renewal but narrowly failed an additional 3.3 mill, five-year levy.
- The district was added to Ohio's Fiscal Caution list in March 2007 for potential deficits.
Without additional levy support from voters, Anthony Wayne's future looks grim.
Citing 15 teaching positions and 29 others that have been left vacant, $2 million in cuts and large class sizes for students, Superintendent John Granger said of the district's most recent levy failures that Anthony Wayne is moving "backwards."
This November, the Anthony Wayne Local School District will return to voters in an attempt to pass a 0.5 percent income tax over five years for operating expenses.
Make a difference
With political attention now closely focused on the issue of school funding, Ohio citizens have a unique opportunity to decide what kind of schools they want and how to pay for those schools.
Find out how you can make a difference.