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Monday April 21, 2008 Volume 6, Issue 7 WHAT’S UP WITH SCHOOL FUNDING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE 2. UPDATE ON STRICKLAND'S EDUCATION REFORM PROCESS 3. MORE LEGAL TROUBLES FOR OHIO'S LARGEST CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATOR 4. DISPUTE OVER COUNTING STUDENTS MAY COST THE STATE $50 MILLION 5. SUMMARY OF RECENT EDUCATION RELATED BILLS IN THE OHIO LEGISLATURE 6. DEPENDANCE ON LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES INCREASES 7. COPLEY-FAIRLAWN PURSUING WRONGFULLY ENROLLED STUDENTS 8. KEEPING THE PROMISE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE 9. INCREASES IN FOOD PRICES AFFECTING SCHOOL BUDGETS 10. ORGANIZED COMMUNITIES, STRONGER SCHOOLS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE Mark your calendar; our next statewide meeting is this Thursday, May 10 from 11-2 at First Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad Street in Columbus . Please join us! Thank you to everyone who has already started using your Kroger cards. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s easy! If you choose to help, it costs you nothing, but you will be contributing to help fix school funding in Ohio. Kroger will donate 5% of all of your purchases, including gasoline, to the Ohio Fair Schools Campaign. All you have to do is purchase a Kroger Gift Card from us for $5 (it will have $5 credit on the card) and use this card every time you shop at Kroger. You can use it at any Kroger store. You pay nothing extra for your items. If 100 people spend an average of $200 per month at Kroger, the Ohio Fair Schools Campaign will receive $1,000 each month. This would help to sustain our work throughout Ohio. Please order your card today! To get started with your card, please call the office (740) 592-2866 or e-mail Debbie: Debbie@ohiofairschools.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. UPDATE ON STRICKLAND’S EDUCATION REFORM PROCESS Dr. John Stanford, Governor Strickland's Education Policy Assistant, met with education and citizen advocacy groups on March 28, 2008 to review the process that has been followed over the past year to meet with a variety of stakeholder groups and gather ideas about the vision, principles, and goals for a P-16 education reform plan. Dr. Stanford stressed that it is not enough to just fix school funding. Governor Strickland believes that it is necessary to develop an education reform plan that will tackle many education policy issues. According to Dr. Stanford, the Governor's Education Reform Plan will be rolled out in 2009, and the General Assembly will be asked to take action on any legislative recommendations If there is no interest by the General Assembly to move on the legislative recommendations, the Governor will consider developing the recommendations into a statewide initiative, and ask voters to decide its outcome in November 2009. Legislation to create the director of education position will be introduced soon, and it is the intention of the Governor to have this legislation approved this year. In her March 31 Education Update Joan Platz provides a summary of the contents of the documents discussed at the meeting: "Summary of Education Reform Process", "Director of Education Proposal", and the "Governor's Institute for Creativity and Innovation in Education". To read it visit: http://ohiofairschools.org/learn/Ed_Updates/03_31_08.html To read related articles, visit: 3/29 Dayton Daily News Outline termed a starting point http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/28/ddn032908educationfolo.html (Summary excerpted from Joan Platz’s LWVO Education Update for March 31, 2008) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. MORE LEGAL TROUBLES FOR OHIO’S LARGEST CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATOR The Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) has requested that the Internal Revenue Service investigate the tax exempt status of charter schools managed by White Hat Management, Inc. and its affiliates under Section 501(c)(3) of federal law. The OFT alleges that certain charter schools run by the profit-making management company White Hat Management, Inc, do not qualify for tax exempt status. The 25 schools that are being challenged include "Life Skills Centers" and "Hope Academies", and others that have applied for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3). Ohio law requires that charter schools be incorporated as either a non-profit corporation or a public benefit corporation. For more information please visit the OFT web site at http://www.oft-aft.org/ (Summary Courtesy of Joan Platz) In related news, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office sent a letter to David Brennan of White Hat Management contends that he and his wife likely violated campaign finance limits by “funneling more than $30,000 to four candidates through a pair of political action committees. ”According to an article in the Plain Dealer “The Brennans each gave $10,000 contributions - the maximum allowed at the time - to the campaign of unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell in 2006. So did two PACs that have been funded only by the Brennans since 2005.” To read related articles, visit: 4/10 DispatchPolitics.com Secretary of State: Charter school operator likely violated campaign-finance law http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/10/brennan.html?sid=101 3/27 Columbus Dispatch Teachers union challenges charter school management company http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/27/whitehat_web.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. DISPUTE OVER COUNTING STUDENTS MAY COST THE STATE $50 MILLION According to the Columbus Dispatch, relying on charter schools to accurately report their student enrollment might cost the Ohio Education Department $50 million. Two years ago the Cincinnati City School District sued the Ohio Department of Education when the department started using charter school numbers instead of public school district numbers to count students, the Dispatch said. Cincinnati disputed the number reported by charter schools, costing the district about $4.6 million in state funds. Two Hamilton County courts, including the Court of Appeals, agreed with Cincinnati that the law didn't allow the state to base per-pupil payments on figures that come from charter schools. The Dispatch said districts receiving the $50 million would be traditional public school districts, possibly including Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo, in addition to Cincinnati. The State Board of Education voted to appeal the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. To read a related article,visit: 4/9 Columbus Dispatch State may owe school districts $50 million http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/08/sklfunding.html?sid=101 (Summary courtesy of CORAS http://www.coras.org) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. SUMMARY OF RECENT EDUCATION RELATED BILLS IN THE OHIO LEGISLATURE HB 517 SCHOOL FUNDING To establish a committee to study the actual per pupil cost of educating students in public schools and make recommendations regarding the funding of public schools. To read HB 517, visit: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_517 HB 519 SCHOOL VOLUNTEERING To require parents of students enrolled in school districts to perform volunteer service for the district, to grant state employees paid leave to participate in a child's educational activities, to allow a non refundable credit against the corporate franchise or commercial activity tax for employer-paid leave enabling employees to participate in school-related activities, and to require school districts to establish mentoring programs for students. To read HB 519, visit: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_519 HB 520 CALAMITY DAYS To waive the requirement for certain school districts to make up days schools are closed due to flooding and to declare an emergency. To read HB 520, visit: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_520 HB 521 CONSOLIDATING SERVICES To create a commission to recommend ways for all local taxing entities to slim down and consolidate. The study would be modeled after a similar study conducted in Indiana. Although HB 521 simply creates a study of the feasibility of reforming local governments, it is worth noting that the Indiana study recommended reorganizing school districts to achieve a minimum student population of 2,000. To read HB 521, visit: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_521 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. DEPENDANCE ON LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES INCREASES In the 2005-06 school year, more than half (50.4 percent) of all education revenue in Ohio came from local sources, chiefly property taxes, according to a U.S. Census report released this week. This is the third time in four years the local burden has increased in Ohio, while the state's share has shrunk four consecutive years, to 42.3 percent, the Cincinnati Enquirer said. Nationally, local revenues make up 44.4 percent of school budgets. States contribute an average of 46.6 percent. The federal government pays for about 9 percent. To view the U.S. Census report, visit: http://ftp2.census.gov/govs/school/06f33pub.pdf To read a related article, visit: 4/2 Cincinnati Enquirer Ohio schools depend more on local taxes http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/NEWS0102/804020361/1058/NEWS01 Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. COPLEY-FAIRLAWN PURSUING WRONGFULLY ENROLLED STUDENTS The Copley-Fairlawn School District is working to identify students who do not live within the district’s boundaries and are wrongfully enrolled in the district’s schools. The district consistently receives “Excellent” ratings on state school report cards, making it attractive to parents, but open enrollment students are not accepted. According to an article in the West Side Leader, “As a “0 percent” district in Ohio, Copley-Fairlawn Schools receive only a minimum guarantee of $1.5 million in state funds” and “the remainder of the nearly $30 million budget comes from local sources.” So far the district’s efforts have led to the withdrawal of 40 to 50 wrongfully enrolled students and an increase in the number of children paying tuition to the district. To read the article, visit: 4/10 West Side Leader District pursuing wrongfully enrolled students http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=2083 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. KEEPING THE PROMISE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE In the last issue of WHAT’S UP WITH SCHOOL FUNDING, we let you know about a new book published by Rethinking Schools. “Keeping the Promise; The Debate Over Charter Schools” can now be ordered on-line. The book is a collection of essays that examines the charter school movement’s founding visions, on-the-ground realities, and untapped potential—within the context of an unswerving commitment to democratic, equitable public schools. Essays include policy overviews from nationally known educators such as Ted Sizer and Linda Darling-Hammond, interviews with leaders of community-based charter schools, and analyses of how charters have developed in cities such as New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Included in the book are essays by a few Ohio folks; Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio and George Wood, Executive Director of The Forum for Education and Democracy. To order the book, visit: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/promise/promise.shtml ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. INCREASES IN FOOD PRICES AFFECTING SCHOOL BUDGETS According to an article in the Washington Post, “ Sharp rises in the cost of milk, grain and fresh fruits and vegetables are hitting cafeterias across the country, forcing cash-strapped schools to raise prices or pinch pennies by serving more economical dishes.” The article also explains that Federal and State subsidies for lunch programs aren't keeping up with rising food costs and this has forced some schools to use general funds, that pay for such expenses as teacher salaries, computers and busing. To read the article, visit: 4/13 Washington Post Schools Get A Lesson in Lunch Line Economics http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/13/AR2008041302733.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. ORGANIZED COMMUNITIES, STRONGER SCHOOLS The Annenberg Institute for School Reform released a preview of findings of a six year study called "Organized Communities, Stronger Schools". The preview of findings shows that communities that organize at the grassroots level improved school-community relationships, parent involvement and engagement, teacher collegiality, teacher morale, and increased student attendance, standardized-test-score performance, graduation rates, and college-going aspirations. Participating in grassroots organizing efforts also increased the motivation and involvement of young people in civic engagement activities. The following seven organized efforts were included in the study: The Austin Interfaith (Alliance Schools Network); Chicago ACORN (Action Now is now the new organization); Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, Los Angeles, CA (South Central Youth Empowered thru Action); Eastern Pennsylvania Organizing Project (EPOP) Philadelphia, PA; Youth United for Change, Philadelphia; Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition; Oakland Community Organizations, Oakland, CA; and People Acting for Community Together, Miami, FL. The final report will be released in the summer of 2008. The preview is available at http://www.annenberginstitute.org/pdf/OrganizedCommunities.pdf Summary courtesy of Joan Platz, LWVO Education Update for 3-31-08 |
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Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, 94 Columbus Road Athens, Ohio 45701 Tel. (740)592-2866 Fax (740)593-5451 |
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