School Officials Will Wait and See on State's Funding Revisions

Feeling the pressure from concerned parents, teachers and constituents, House Republicans offered up some changes late Thursday to GOP Governor John Kasich’s proposed state budget in order to lighten the deep cuts that are planned to hit many of Ohio’s school districts this July. 

The changes proposed by house legislators would include limiting any district’s basic state aid losses to 20 percent, pouring up to $60 million into per-pupil basic state aid and cutting a plan that would allow school officials and personnel to contribute 12 percent apiece into school pension funds. 

Kasich’s pension plan would offset district expenses as school personnel would contribute more (from 10 percent to 12 percent) and districts would contribute less (from 14 percent to 12 percent). However, despite the move by legislators to cut the pension plan, it’s still moving forward through the Health and Aging Committee.

It’s referred to as House Bill 202 and is otherwise known as the Retirement Benefits for Public Employees bill. 

“In regard to the pension, there probably will be a referendum and we won’t know until November what the outcome is,” Strongsville Treasurer Bill Parkinson said. “And regardless of that outcome, our teacher contracts don’t expire til June 30, 2012, so the impact wouldn’t be felt until 2013.” 

As for the 20 percent cap and the boost to per-pupil funding, Parkinson said he will have to analyze the legislators’ financials to gauge how much it could aid the district, but so far, he has been frustrated and unimpressed with Kasich’s proposed state budget and the recent “half measures” of Republicans. 

“In my opinion, it seems like on one hand they say they support public education, but on the other hand they’re undercutting it — both from the top and the bottom,” he said. “While I understand there should be more efficiencies, and I thoroughly understand that the tax base can only support so much, at the same time you can’t gut public education where it’s almost set to fail.” 

As it stands, the district is set to lose about 20 percent alone next year and needs to make $6.3 million in cuts, give or take, and pass a this August to stay out of the red through 2016. 

Until the budget is finalized this June, Parkinson will make note of the proposed changes that come up from Columbus, and will hold off on a complete local budget assessment as the state’s economic landscapes will continue to shift.

Superintendent Jefferey Lampert concurs. 

“At this point, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of gyrations and peaks and valleys, and until (the state budget) is signed and sealed, we’ll just watch and maintain,” Lampert said. “It’s just hard to deal on so many unknowns. Any good news we’ll take, but you just try not to overreact to these things until it's final.”