Ohio House Dems break out school funding revise

Yesterday, the Ohio House Democrats unveiled their rewrite of Governor Stickland’s proposals for improved school financing, offering improvements that the Governor likes.

A good report on all this can be accessed at this link: http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/04/ohio_house_democrats_unveil_th.html along with an outline by Democrats of their reform plan http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/04/041609EducationPlanInformation.pdf and a district-by-district estimate of its effect if this plan becomes law. http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2009/04/HouseEducationProposalasproposed.pdf

The estimate also includes certain of the federal stimulus funds (poor students - Title I, and special education students - IDEA) as well. According to that estimate, Newark City Schools would reap a 7.4% increase in state and federal funds during Fiscal Year 09-10, and another 1.8% increase in FY10-11, for a total of 9.3%.

Far from set in concrete, this plan is not even out of the Ohio House, and could change before then. After that, the bill goes to the Senate. Then, as explained to me by Jonathan Baker, Jay Hottinger’s legislative aide, senators “will revise it and vote on their version. Since the House and Senate versions are not likely to be compatible or acceptable to the opposite chamber the budget will likely go to a conference committee. The conference committee will fix the points of contention until the budget can draw enough votes to pass both chambers - then the Governor will consider the bill, perhaps veto portions, and sign it by June 30 so it can go into effect on July 1 - the first day of the state fiscal year.”

But, anyway, this is how it stands today - 9.3% increase for NCS funding.