Ohio leaders still trying to solve school funding

by Kim Smith
Staff Writer

Top Ohio government leaders are hoping three heads will be better than one when it comes to solving the state's school funding issues.

Gov. Bob Taft, House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenfried, and Senate President Richard Finan, R-Cincinnati, are putting together a working plan to restructure school funding, said Jennifer Detwiler, Householder's director of communication.

"They have submitted a recommendation that offers a slew of options," she said.

Currently, schools are funded through local property taxes, a process that the Ohio Supreme Court has found unconstitutional twice. The court is giving legislators until June 15 to overhaul school funding.

Each official's office offered a separate plan, and now they are attempting to consolidate those proposals, said Lisa Peterson, Finan's press secretary.

"They spent seven hours together (Wednesday)," she said. "They're in agreement on most things; they just need to finalize the rest."

The past weeks have been dedicated to negotiating their general agreement on school funding, Peterson said. They also need to hammer out a budget.

The Republican Party took a step Thursday. They submitted a $1.4 billion plan to the legislature that reportedly will give $800 extra per pupil to poorer districts in the state.

But Taft has not agreed to the plan. A competent plan to fund their idea has not been created yet, said Kevin Kellems, Taft's spokesman.