OHIO — State lawmakers are expected to vote on the next biennium budget, with some hopeing all of the money needed for school districts over the next several years will get approved.
What You Need To Know
- HB 10’s been introduced to get full funding for school districts through the Fair School Funding Plan
- Competing needs across the state will be key in what gets funded
- Rep. Sweeney indicated that the state is in good economic standing and that the money needed exists
Bride Rose Sweeney, State Rep. for District 16, along with State Rep. Jamie Callender, introduced HB 10, a continuation of the Fair School Funding Plan. While there was an agreement through the plan to have a six-year phase-in, which included funding for what Sweeney said was “about 1/3 of the formula,” she and Callender are proposing to fully fund the rest.
“If we don't put any money into it, it really doesn't do much,” said Sweeney. “It's about over the biennium, another billion dollars and some change into the formula
From Sweeney’s perspective, districts have gotten something that works, but now it’s about the legislature doing what it promised.
“Unfortunately, in the state there is no shortage of need,” said Sweeney. “We've been under-investing from … public health to health care, to all sorts of different things.”
Since the state is in good economic standing, Sweeney said “We don't have to wait and we do not have to raise taxes in order to do so.”
She said the rest of the money is there to fund the plan, but contending with all the other competing needs will be key this budget cycle.