School Funding Matters

Giving Ohioans a voice in shaping the future of public education
Welcome to School Funding Matters
Sign in | Join | Help

Websites, blogs and other information

Ohio School Funding Reform Efforts

Education Voters of Ohio is a grassroots group working to connect and engage Ohioans in the discussion of education reform and school funding. The group hosts a listening tour throughout the state and other civic participation activities.
The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign is a statewide coalition of about 3,000 participants that works toward school funding solutions. It has engaged the public in discussions about school funding and provided opportunities for the public to voice thoughts to key policy leaders.
The Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy for School Funding, the plaintiff in Ohio's landmark DeRolph case, seeks a constitutional amendment on school funding.  
The Toledo Public Schools Parent Congress works to educate parents, students and the community on school funding and how state-level decisions impact the community.
Ohio Citizens for School Funding Reform is a parent effort in Milford Exempted Village Schools that raises awareness of school funding and advocates for state-level change related to Ohio’s reliance on property taxes to fund schools.
Is your organization working to solve Ohio's school funding problem? Contact us with information. 

Return to Resources

Websites

General/National Scope

National Access Network  Offers information about what is happening to promote meaningful education opportunities where minority and low-income students are currently being denied this opportunity. Covers litigation, costing-out, and policy issues by state.

Education Law Center  ELC has launched a national initiative, Education Justice, that will advance education equity and plans to advocate for: better preK-12 school funding and facilities; implementation of proven educational reforms; and policies that help schools build the know-how to narrow and close achievement gaps. The Education Justice website is currently under construction, but a newsletter covering state-by-state school funding issues is available by request at edjustice@edlawcenter.org 

Starting at 3. An initiative of the Education Law Center that promotes and supports legal advocacy to include prekindergarten in school finance litigation and state legislation.

School Finance Redesign Project  Research project focused on redesigning school finance to support student performance.

Education Commission on the States   A resource of policies and data by state with surveys and policy reports.

Ed Week Covers education issues across the state daily, including education finance. (Subscription required for full articles.)

The Equality & Education Project. Examines the causes of inequality in schools, analyzes reform proposals and offers new possibilities for policymakers.

Ohio

Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy for School Funding. Home site of the plaintiffs in the DeRolph case and the movement to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Ohio Department of Education.  This link takes you to an ODE webpage that allows you to look at school funding by district and creates a graph showing expenditures or revenues over time.

Ohio Fair Schools Campaign. Grassroots organization with many useful Ohio-specific school funding resources, including legislative updates and ways to take action.

Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). Information on school funding issues and a legal platform on school finance. Includes a glossary of school finance terms.

Ohio Education Association Information in Issues and Legislation offering the teacher union's perspective on school funding issues in Ohio.

Education Update. The League of Women Voters Education Update provides a timely update of state and federal legislative and key education stakeholder matters, as well as information on key education reports and studies.

Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) Contains school funding information including their legislative platform and testimonies.

Ohio State Senator Ron Amstutz has posted a User's Guide regarding school funding.

Voices For Children Non-partisan collaborative of organizations that advocate for public policy that improves the well-being of children. Includes policy recommendations on K-12 education.

Center for Community Solutions Covers the Ohio state budget and taxation issues, including property tax implications and the education budget.

Ohio Citizens for School Funding Reform Based out of Milford, Ohio, a district east of Cincinnati. Its mission is to raise awareness that change is needed for school funding at the state level and to educate the community on state funding of schools.  

Tools to See How School Funding Impacts Your District

Ohio Department of Education District Review Offers the ability to review spending and revenue trends for every school district in Ohio.  

Education Tax Policy Institute This group of Ohio school districts and other local government organizations offers research and analysis on changes in taxes that affect funding for education and local services.

Interactive Local Report Card Tool developed to provide current and historical data on local districts and schools, including proficiency test results, graduation rates, financial data, and demographics, among others.    

Great Schools  National, independent nonprofit organization committed to helping parents choose schools, support their children's education and improve schools in their community.

School Matters Standard and Poor's School Evaluation Services website for parents researching information about public schools. It includes demographic information, test score results and district financial information.

Blogs

Ohio

Columbus Education Association The CEA blog covers issues of importance to teachers - charters, NCLB etc. Had exclusive interview with Strickland that included his ed reform points.

A Place to Discuss Hilliard Schools Paul Lambert addresses levies, funding, teachers, etc., in light of Hilliard City Schools levy attempts. Also has a companion website