· June 21, 2012

New report lauds Ohio’s (old) school funding system

  As Ohio legislators begin to examine what the state’s new school funding system should look like, it is important for them to recognize that previous systems had promise. A new report, released this week, shows that Ohio’s system that was in place in 2009 was among the most progressive in the country and even received an A for its distributive qualities. In particular, Ohio was commended one of only 17 states with a system that provided greater state funding to to high-poverty districts than to low-poverty districts. Governor Kasich undid that system, and, as a result, Ohio went from having among the most lauded school funding formulas in the country to the only state without a school funding formula. However, there is hope that the series of hearings the Ohio House is scheduled to hold over the summer will demonstrate that formulas, based on sound research, can actually help children learn. And it is important to get this next one right so that it will receive at least as many accolades as its predecessor.