Analysis: Kasich Budget Transfers $567 Million More For Public Schools to Private and Failing Charter Schools
Research Overview
Governor John Kasich introduced Ohio’s proposed Executive Budget for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013 on March 15th, 2011. The governor’s announcement falsely asserted a one percent increase for primary education in FY12 and FY13, a claim that only withstands scrutiny if revisionist history is applied and State Fiscal Stabilization Funds are wiped from the budget ledger. Upon further study, perhaps even more disturbing is the ideologically-driven commitment to expanding school choice programs without regard to the negative impact such policies would have on funding for traditional public schools.
In addition to the $395 million (FY12) and $305 million (FY13) in statewide funding cuts to primary education through the foundation program, Governor Kasich’s proposed expansion of school choice would steer even more money from school districts to unaccountable private and charter schools.
Specifically, Innovation Ohio projects that by FY13, the Kasich budget would transfer an additional $567.7 million to private and failing charter schools.
Such a diversion leaves school districts, which are responsible for educating 1.7 million children, with drastically reduced resources at the worst possible time. Local property taxpayers face a troubling choice: dramatically increase their own local property tax burden, or watch their school systems suffer as private and charter schools thrive from historically unprecedented increases in state support.
Innovation Ohio believes that forcing communities to choose between increasing their local taxes or having their school districts to absorb these hidden education cuts is an irresponsible and ideologically driven policy.
Read the report (PDF).
Read the press release. Unanswered Questions: Prison Privatization
Research Overview
On March 15th, Governor John Kasich unveiled his first Executive Budget, which included a proposal to privatize five of Ohio’s 31 correctional institutions. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) currently oversees an inmate population of 50,500 adult felony offenders, tasked with protecting citizens by maintaining supervision in “environments that are safe, humane, and appropriately secure.” Thus far, very little information regarding the plan to privatize prison facilities has been released by the governor or DRC beyond the expectation of generating $200 million in one-time money from the sale of the five facilities. In anticipation of a presentation by DRC before the House Finance and Appropriations committee, Innovation Ohio offers five critically important questions that need answers before a prison privatization plan can be effectively evaluated. Read the report (PDF)The Facts: Senate Bill 5, As Passed by the Senate
Research Overview
This report offers our initial analysis of Senate Bill 5, legislation aimed at eliminating collective bargaining rights for public employee, which was passed by the Ohio Senate on March 2, 2011. We conclude that SB5 offers a “reform” package that does little to erase the projected $8 billion budget hole. Its true impact would be exposing police, fire, highway patrol, teachers and nurses to unsafe working conditions; subjecting public employees to an unfair, predetermined process for setting wages; making older workers vulnerable to layoffs without remedy and creating punitive measures against public employees, including imprisonment and fine Read the report (PDF).Ohio Teachers and Collective Bargaining: An Analysis
Research Overview
Ohio’s path to economic prosperity begins in the classroom. Our leaders must work together to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, rather than pursue an ill-advised assault on collective bargaining justified by the false claim that teachers’ ability to negotiate wages and benefits has contributed to Ohio’s projected budget deficit. The opposite is true. During the depths of the Great Recession, Ohio teachers made great financial sacrifices – among the largest in the country. They also served as willing partners in reforming how educators are evaluated and compensated and their efforts in the classroom have resulted in improved student outcomes. In short, Ohio’s teachers have worked with school districts and the state to make Ohio schools better and our education system more financially sustainable. If our political leaders fail to recognize these realities, they risk undermining and trading long-term success for minor short-term state budget gains. In fact, research shows that eliminating or effectively crippling the state’s collective bargaining system will be as likely to add to state and local budget woes as cure them. Press Release: Innovation Ohio Says Facts Don’t Support Senate Bill 5 Read the report (PDF).- « Previous Page
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