Taft's school funding plan debated

by JOHN McCARTHY
T he Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Republicans in charge of pulling Gov. Bob Taft's new school funding plan through the Legislature gave it a polite welcome, but not a victory party.

Senate President Richard Finan and House Speaker Larry Householder said they were behind Taft's plan to increase funding and refine testing standards. But neither predicted yesterday the reaction of the Ohio Supreme Court - which twice has ruled the funding formula unconstitutional.

Finan, responding to a reporter's question, declined to predict whether the court would embrace the plan.

"You tell me that, and I'll have a heck of a job for you," Finan said.

The leaders' goal is to deliver lawmakers' version of Taft's plan to the governor's desk by June 1. The court has demanded a response by June 15.

Taft proposed two solutions to satisfy Ohio Supreme Court rulings that the state's funding formula is unconstitutional. The first would set new standards for student accountability and assessment. The second seeks to provide an additional $1,284 in per-pupil funding over the next five years, bringing it to $5,484 a year.

Taft also asked the Legislature for increases in funding for teacher training, reading intervention and an expansion of all-day kindergarten - all issues the court touched on in its rulings.

The Supreme Court in 1997 asked for a "systematic" overhaul of the funding formula, saying it relied too much on local property taxes. That reliance creates disparities among school districts, depending on their wealth. The court said the Ohio Constitution guaranteed every child an adequate education.

Taft built his plan around a commitment to work within available resources and not raise taxes. The state asked voters in 1998 to increase the sales tax by a penny per dollar, and the voters sank the plan by a 4-to-1 vote.

The court last May praised lawmakers and state officials for a series of improvements made in the previous three years, but ruled that it was not enough.

Four of the seven justices attended Taft's speech, although none commented directly on the governor's plan. Justice Andrew Douglas, however, gave Taft good marks for making education the dominant issue.

"I was encouraged that he seems to say it's the No. 1 issue, and at least four of us have thought that for a long time," said Douglas, one of the four justices to rule the funding formula unconstitutional both times.

Householder, a Glenford Republican, said that even though Taft's plan does not seek a reduction in local property taxes, the court should like it.

"Any time you have more state money going into local education, that lowers the reliance on property taxes," he said.

Legislative Democrats, starting their fourth two-year session as the minority party in both chambers, graded Taft's speech as poor. House Minority Leader Jack Ford said he expected a "bold strike" from Taft but didn't hear one.

Ford, a Toledo Democrat, said Ohio's kids have been caught in the middle long enough.

"Ohio schoolchildren cannot afford to have the fate of public education subjected to an endless battle between politicians and the Supreme Court," Ford said.