Blackwell, Strickland tout education plans

Friday, August 18, 2006 Blackwell proposes privatizing school district food and secretarial services. By JEFF ORTEGA VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT COLUMBUS — Republican gubernatorial nominee J. Kenneth Blackwell plugged his so-called "65 cent solution," which he said would bring more state dollars to classroom instruction, to school officials. Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Ted Strickland vowed that if elected, he would press state lawmakers to change how Ohio funds its public schools. Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, said Thursday his plan would mandate that every school district spend a minimum of 65 cents of every operational dollar on classroom instruction. Blackwell's proposal is officially called the First Class Education proposal. "Your first obligation is to take care of classroom instruction," Blackwell told hundreds of schools officials from throughout the state gathered at a Columbus hotel. Blackwell said he believes school services other than classroom instruction such as transportation, food service and secretarial service could be contracted out to private companies, freeing up what his campaign officials estimate to be $1.2 billion a year for schools without a tax increase. According to the Blackwell campaign, under the "65-cent solution," which would require legislative approval, school districts that fall below the 65 percent goal would be required to increase that percentage by a minimum of 2 percent a year until the goal is met. If elected, Blackwell said he would implement recommendations from a state commission to reform Medicaid, the state/federal insurance program for the poor and disabled and a large item in the state budget, to free up additional money for education. Blackwell said he would also support school-choice options such as charter schools. Meanwhile, Strickland, the U.S. congressman from Lisbon, said he believes school funding to be a moral issue and said he would consider it a top priority if elected. "If I fail to give Ohio a constitutional system of school funding, then I [will] have failed," Strickland added. Court rulings Four times, the Ohio Supreme Court has held that the way the state pays for public schools is unconstitutional. The high court has ruled that an over-reliance on property taxes has led to wide educational disparities between so-called rich and poor public school systems. In response to the court case, the state has spent billions of dollars on primary and secondary schools — much of it to help lower-wealth districts. State officials also have poured resources into school construction and renovation and the overhaul of tests and curricula. While not providing specifics, Strickland vowed to work with the Ohio Legislature on a new school-funding formula. Addressing the issue of school choice, Strickland said, "I believe our commitment must be to public education." Lara Reibold, a school board member in Newton Falls, said she believed Strickland had a "far stronger interest in educating our children." "I think Ken Blackwell was polished; I didn't like his message," added Roger Samuelson, a board member in the Champion school district.