COLUMBUS, Ohio—It's been decades since all school districts across the state of Ohio have been funded fairly.
- HB 305 funds school districts based on state resoures and locally-generated tax revenue
- Districts with high levels of economically disadvantaged kids would see 55 percent increase in dollars needed per student
- Special Education would see a 10 percent boost, for severe cases
Now that the new biennium budget has been signed into law, there's a continued bipartisan effort to make sure that changes, through the Fair School Funding Plan.
Representatives Bob Cupp (R-Lima) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson) have not given up. They are working hard to create a formula that works for everyone.
One of the biggest challenges they've faced has been how to fund districts properly without them losing large amounts of money.
While what they have isn't set in stone, it does seem that they're well on their way to establishing something that could potentially work.
The proposed plan for HB 305 funds school districts based on state resources and locally-generated tax revenue.
60 percent of the money allocated would come from property tax.
The other 40 percent would be based on the average income people make across a district.
Those two pieces would determine a district's financial ability to generate their share of what's needed
Representative Cupp said moving to a variable local share percentage based on local capacity helps balance the distribution of funds.
Once the amount per student and official district share is determined, the state pays the balance, so that a district gets the full amount they should.
If there is a district where the wealth is lower and 12 percent of its students are leaving the district to be educated elsewhere, the state would kick in extra dollars on top of what a district is already slated to receive.
"The funding proposal before you will offer districts the opportunity to provide those courses and those experiences, as well as the local control necessary for implementation to prepare our students for our future and for their future," said Patterson.
For districts with high levels of economically disadvantaged kids, HB 305 would increase the dollars needed per student by 55 percent.
Special education would also see a 10 percent boost for those with severe cases.
Cupp and Patterson are hoping hearings on the Fair School Funding Plan can start this summer.
