Schools not impressed with budget plan

By JIM PROVANCE

Toledo Blade

COLUMBUS

Just before punting its proposed budget to the Senate, the Ohio House added $80 million in hopes of easing some of the pain the plan holds for school districts.

But spreading roughly $40 million more a year across Ohio’s 613 districts amounts to little more than an aspirin with the vast majority still facing painful budget cuts, school leaders say.

“It did not ease our pain. Absolutely not,” Port Clinton Superintendent Patrick D. Adkins said. The Ottawa County district fares only slightly better under the two-year plan passed by the House. Port Clinton faces an overall state funding cut in the two-year budget’s first year of 26.7 percent, compared to a cut of 27.9 percent under Gov. John Kasich’s proposal.

The district, which has about 1,800 students and an annual budget of nearly $20 million, is looking at a cut of about $1.4 million next year and then an additional $83,668 in the second year, according to figures from the Ohio Legislative Services Commission.

These numbers reflect the loss of federal stimulus dollars that temporarily shored up school budgets, as well as stepped-up efforts by the Kasich administration to wean school districts off state money that compensated for the loss of revenue for a pair of business and utility taxes that have been phased out.

Kasich has urged school districts not to turn to local taxpayers to make up the difference, arguing that a tax increase would hurt the business climate regardless of whether it happens at the state or local level. But Adkins said the state cuts leave the district with little choice.