OHIO — Economists across the state are weighing in after the school funding reform bill was left in the hands of Ohio senators back in 2020. The survey is based on a similar one used by the University of Chicago. It was meant to inform policy makers while checking the efficiency of public policy. 

What You Need To Know

  • Some econimists said, school funding reform is one missing piece of the puzzle but does not solve all inequalities 

  • 26 out of 30 economists from colleges and univerrsities around the state agreed passing a fair school funding plan would substantially reduce inequalities

  • School funding reform will have huge impact, but some economists wonder about how “substantial” of an impact it will have 

About 30 economists from colleges and universities around the state weighed in on the decades-long problem of school funding and its impact in Ohio. While most say that the reform would bring change, by reducing inequalities in communities overall, there’s still some skepticism about just how much. This is the statement that was posed by social impact firm Scioto Analysis for economists to weigh in on:

“A more equitable state school funding formula would substantially reduce inequality in the state of ohio in the coming decades.”

Economists responded after the Ohio House passed a school funding bill late last year. Policy Analyst Rob Moore said he was surprised by the overwhelming agreement.

“We only had one person who disagreed with the statement that this was going to substantially impact inequality Over the next few decades. There were three people who are uncertain.”

The hang up was about how “substantial” of a reduction there’d be with inequalities like prenatal care, infrastructure and unemployment in Ohio.

“Because we're saying, OK, maybe school funding equalization is a part of the picture, but it's doing these other things, too. So, I think that's what kept coming back was is, this is a piece of the puzzle but maybe not the whole puzzle.”

Denison University Associate Professor of Economics Fadhel Kaboub agreed that school funding reform is very important and would have a great impact, but he doesn’t believe it’s the only answer to the problems of inequality. 

“The State of Ohio has its responsibilities and school districts have their responsibility, but their jurisdiction is very limited. We can't expect a state like the state of Ohio to solve the problem of structural inequality at the national level.”

That’s why Kaboub believes it’ll take state and federal governments working together and more federal dollars to solve inequality issues in the state and nation.

“It's not going to provide the entire ecosystem of, you know, having access to broadband, having parents have access to decent jobs that allow them to have decent housing that allows them to have decent access to health care for themselves and for their kids."

And in order to boost Ohio’s schools and economy as a whole, Kaboub said it's necessary to put pressure on lawmakers and in particular the federal government to do their job.

But while there’s emphasis on lawmakers, Moore said for the average person in Ohio, economists' view points on it all will help voters when making decisions about levies and other school related measures impacting society as a whole. While it's not clear how this analysis will impact decision making in the Ohio Senate, as the school funding bill hangs in the balance, one thing is clear for Kaboub. "

If we don't invest in education, if we don't produce the right quality of skills and experiences and and motivations for the next generation. This is going to be, you know, a cost to society at large.”

If the Ohio Senate can get a bill passed, some believe it would move the state a couple of steps forward when it comes to addressing inequalities.