OFSC Board of Directors

The Ohio Fair Schools Campaign platform was approved by our members on October 28, 2002 and amended on February 2, 2004.

Principles

1. All Ohio children should have quality public education opportunities as a fundamental right, wherever they live, whatever their race, and whatever their family background.

2. The success of a system of local public schools derives from the commitment and engagement of the citizenry of the local community that the schools serve.

3. A system of well-funded public schools is necessary for the public good.

4. Paying a fair share of taxes for essential public services such as education is a civic responsibility for individuals and businesses.

5. The current system for funding public education in Ohio needs complete reform.

6. Ohio's system for funding public education must be fair and equitable, and it must be understandable.

7. The solution should not involve taking funds from presently well-funded schools or leveling down.

Goals

1. Establish public education as a fundamental right for all Ohio children.

2. Require lawmakers to define the services and resources needed to enable all children to meet the state's educational standards.

3. Determine the actual cost of providing constitutionally mandated educational opportunities and fully fund this program.

4. Distribute funding equitably by significantly increasing the role of state revenue and reducing local property tax.

5. Require that the State fully fund all state education mandates.

6. Address concentrated family poverty (rural and urban) through adequate additional state support for districts serving children in poverty.

7. Provide for financial stability for all districts by reducing the need for frequent levies.

8. Repair or replace worn facilities without over-reliance on the local match.

9. Rebuild participation and local control and governance of local schools.

10. Require all schools funded with public money to meet and be accountable to the same state standards.

11. Require that local school district resources be used solely for schools fully accountable to locally elected public school boards.