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Thursday August 9, 2007 Volume 5, Issue 16
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1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE
2. SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS
3. 2008-09 PROJECTED FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
4. CLEVELAND AND COLUMBUS IMPROVE
5. SPENDING THEIR OWN MONEY
6. NEW LAW WILL CLOSE UNAUDITABLE CHARTER SCHOOLS
7. COUNTY WIDE CONSOLIDATION PROPOSAL
8. NEW STUDY ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING LAWSUITS
9. COMMUNITIES SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
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1. OHIO FAIR SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN UPDATE
There will be no statewide meeting in August. Mark your calendar, our next meeting is on
September 8 from 11-2 in Columbus, at the First Congregational Church,
444 E Broad Street in Columbus.
The focus of July meeting was on strategic planning for the next several years. If you have
ideas you want to share with us about what needs to be done, please let us know. How
can we help local people be more involved? What do you need from us to make it easier
to get your local leaders on board to fix school funding?
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2. SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS
There were 21 school issues on the August 7 ballot. 3 issues passed and 18 issues failed
(a 14.29% passage rate). Election results can be downloaded from the Ohio Department
of Education's website.
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1216&ContentID=4198&Content=33324
To read related articles, visit:
8/8 Marietta Times
Wolf Creek levy wins: Superintendent marvels at voter turnout above 45 percent
http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new11_88200780312.asp
8/8 The Plain Dealer
5 school tax issues defeated
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1186563602133040.xml&coll=2
8/8 Toledo Blade
Area voters OK fire levy, reject funds for schools
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/NEWS09/70808030/-1/NEWS
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3. 2008-09 PROJECTED FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
The Ohio Department of Education has calculated projected funding for FY08 and FY09,
based upon the most recent state budget (HB 119), for all Ohio school districts. To view
a comparison of SF 3 aid amounts for FY08 and FY09 for Ohio school districts, listed
alphabetically by county, visit,
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID=33678
To read a related article, visit:
7/28 Hamilton Journal News
ODE releases projected funding
http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/07/28/hjn072807odebudget.html
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4. CLEVELAND AND COLUMBUS IMPROVE
The Ohio Department of Education will release report cards for all Ohio school districts
on Aug. 14. According to the preliminary data, Cleveland and Columbus schools have
shown improvement. Columbus superintendent Gene Harris attributed the increase to
"improved curriculum, better student attendance and efforts to hone in on students'
academic deficiencies." According to an article in the Plain Dealer sophomores and
juniors in Cleveland "posted the highest scores in the district's history on each of
five parts of the Ohio Graduation."
To read related articles, visit:
8/3 The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland schools go from academic watch to continuous improvement
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1186131189237460.xml&coll=2
8/1 The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus schools' grade rises to a C
http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/08/01/CPScard.ART_ART_08-01-07_A1_877G1EU.html
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5. SPENDING THEIR OWN MONEY
As the start of the new school year approaches, teachers across Ohio are shopping for
materials to get ready for class. According to the National School Supply and Equipment
Association in Silver Springs, Md. "On average, teachers spent $310 for school supplies
and an additional $242 on instructional materials in 2005-06". In some districts there
are local resources to help offset these costs.
To read related articles, visit:
7/31 Cincinnati Enquirer
Giving pencils, paper and pride
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070731/EDIT01/707310328/1090
7/30 Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio teachers dip into own pockets for supplies
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/118578449950950.xml&coll=2
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6. NEW LAW WILL CLOSE UNAUDITABLE CHARTER SCHOOLS
The state auditor has declared 29 Ohio charter schools "unauditable," meaning that their
financial records are not adequate to complete an audit. Charter schools that can't show
how their tax dollars are spent will stop receiving tax dollars. "A change in state law that
just took effect could shut down the publicly funded, privately operated schools when
they can't balance their books. Schools declared 'unauditable' by the state auditor will
have 90 days to get their financial houses in order, or close their doors," according to
an article in the Plain Dealer said.
To read related articles, visit:
8/7 The Plain Dealer
Ohio charter schools on notice to show money trail
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/118647599160910.xml&coll=2
8/7 Akron Beacon Journal
Charter school money records criticized
http://www.ohio.com/news/education/8959367.html
Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org
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7. COUNTY WIDE CONSOLIDATION PROPOSAL
The Regional Chamber of Commerce in northeastern Ohio is proposing county wide school
consolidation by forming a centralized school administrations in three counties; Trumbull,
Mahoning and Columbiana. The consolidation is projected to save an estimated $22 million
a year. The proposal was met by a cool reaction from local superintendents and mixed
reactions from local school board members, according to the Tribune Chronicle. According
to the article, Tony D’Ambrosio, superintendent of the Trumbull County Educational Service
Center pointed out that "just one superintendent per county would have his hands full with
20-some school boards, union contracts, levy ballots and budgets." And that "once enough
deputy or assistant superintendents are named to help handle the load, the savings may not
be all that drastic."
District consolidation is often talked about as a way to save money, by decreasing
administrative costs. However, experience in states that have undergone district
consolidation shows that the expected savings do not materialize. When school districts
are consolidated, the administration tends to get more layers, and become more top-heavy.
In addition, consolidation of buildings tends to follow, creating increased transportation
costs and potentially harming student performance.
Research on consolidation conducted by Aimee and Craig Howley supports the notion
that smaller schools and districts better serve students and communities,
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n10/v14n10.pdf. And research compiled by the Rural
School and Community Trust says that the anticipated cost savings don't always happen,
http://www.ruraledu.org/site/c.beJMIZOCIrH/b.1073993/k.9100/Consolidation.htm.
To read the Tribune Chronicle article, visit:
8/2 Tribune Chronicle
Local school chiefs talk consolidation
http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=20789
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8. NEW STUDY ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING LAWSUITS
A new, first-of-its-kind study by the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit,
non-partisan, fiscal policy research and public education organization, reveals that
lawsuits targeting "inequitable" or "inadequate" school funding have failed to produce
long-term increases in school spending. Eighteen states had sufficient data to analyze
the long-term fiscal impact of court mandates on recurring spending (operating money)
compared to a baseline measured by spending trends before the court mandate. The
data show these eighteen states averaged $284 less per pupil on recurring spending in
2004 dollars than would have been expected based on growth trends before the court
mandates. However, 14 states, including Ohio, showed an increase in recurring spending.
In addition, the study confirms that school-funding lawsuits, such as Ohio's DeRolph
case, have helped get schools built and renovated.
Ohio ranked fourth among the states, behind Vermont, North Dakota and Massachusetts,
with increased spending per pupil for operations. Capital spending among the five states
with sufficient data showed an average increase of $164 per student over pre-ruling
projections. Ohio ranked first in the nation in increased capital spending.
According to the report, nine of the 27 state court rulings since 1977 that have found
education spending unconstitutionally inequitable or inadequate, lawmakers have raised
taxes. The rest, like Ohio, shifted existing resources.To read the report, visit:
http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/bp55.pdf
Summary courtesy of CORAS, http://www.coras.org
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9. COMMUNITIES SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
On July 26, Public Education Network (PEN) held a Congressional briefing to inform
lawmakers about how students, parents and community members see the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) affecting their schools and communities. PEN’s report,
released last month, is the culmination of more than three years of public hearings,
focus groups and town meetings held in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
To view the report and learn more about what these communities had to say about NCLB,
visit: http://www.publiceducation.org/?tr=y&auid=2864964
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