Fair School Funding Plan Details Announced

Cupp-Patterson Formula Works for Overwhelming Majority of Ohio Districts

COLUMBUS--Today State Representatives Robert Cupp, (R-Lima) and John Patterson, (D-Jefferson) unveiled district by district details of the Fair School Funding Plan. Earlier this week, Cupp and Patterson introduced the plan, developed over 15 months with front-line educational and school finance leaders. Now, financial details are available athttps://sites.google.com/view/ohiofairschoolfunding. District by district details are available under the “report” tab.

“Fair School Funding works for Ohio’s students, educators, taxpayers and economic future. It’s based on what it actually costs to educate students, what taxpayers can afford, and what local school districts determine will work in their communities. The current formula doesn’t apply to 82% of Ohio school districts. The new formula works for over 85% of the districts. No district will lose money. And, yes, the plan meets the test of Ohio’s Constitution with respect to the DeRolph decisions,” said Representative Cupp, a former Ohio Supreme Court Justice.

 Prospectively over 85% of the districts would be formula-funded without any situational patchwork as is currently the case. The district-by-district details reveal key trends under the Fair School Funding formula:

 ·         Every district’s funding is calculated in the same way, it reflects its unique local needs, and is computed independent from any other district. 

·         As the formula is phased-in, no district will receive any less funding than is currently allotted.

 ·         The formula will reflect changes in enrollment and/or economic factors in a way that is rational and stable.

 ·         Caps on the state share of district growth will be eliminated as the formula is phased-in.

 ·         The new system bases district ability to pay on both income and overall property value.

 ·         Ninety-five percent of formula funding goes to instruction, educational support and school operations –with 5% for central administration. The plan also funds key categorical needs, such as safety and security, high student poverty, mental health, technology, pre-school, STEM, student transportation, career education and school choice.

 Representative Patterson, a career educator stated, “Fair School Funding will be a big step forward. It provides rational, comprehensive, stable and transparent funding for the State’s 610 Districts. I believe is the right plan, at the right time, to move Ohio’s children, communities and workforce forward. It is fair to our students, fair to our local taxpayers, and fair to the state of Ohio.”

Akron Public Schools Superintendent David W. James said today, "For the first time ever, a new formula is built around the whole student; instruction, co-curriculars, social-emotional needs, career readiness, counselors, technology and teacher professional development.  It has been a long time coming."

Akron Public Schools CFO Ryan Pendleton, who was part of the team working on Fair School Funding, said,'Ohio has tried just about every approach to address school funding before and after the DeRolph decisions.  What is different about this approach is that it is solely run by practitioners (educators) and is coordinated directly with the legislature.  It accounts for what it actually costs to run a public school district."