Area school officials say ruling won't solve problems

by Kim Smith
For The Post

Local educators and administrators are reeling from yesterday's Ohio Supreme Court decision that could bring more money to area schools.

"It's still not a finished job and that's obviously the case," said Ohio University Professor Emeritus Guido H. Stempel, who has researched the school funding issue. "School funding is perplexing even when it's simplified, and the state likes to complicate things."

Although the court laid a blueprint for a solution to the school funding issue, there still are flaws, Athens City Schools Superintendent Carl Martin said.

"We had hoped the (Ohio) Supreme Court wouldn't have the Legislature rely on property taxes," he said. "Everyone is concerned with property taxes in any part of the state ... Our community has been very loyal to the schools and supported our schools through their property taxes."

Each district will receive between $1,000 and $4,000 extra from the state, depending on whether it is considered a rich or poor district. Ohio's minimum funding per pupil is $4,814, Stempel said.

A district is considered poor or rich based on property values. All area districts are below average, according to the Appalachian Initiative for School Funding.

"It's much harder for a poor district to go over $4,148 than a wealthy district. One of the things that they were going to address was that issue," Stempel said.

Other local school officials expressed doubts on the ruling.

"I guess I'm somewhat disappointed," said Thomas Gumpf, Nelsonville-York School District superintendent.

Parity aid is one opportunity defined by the Ohio Supreme Court, Gumpf said. It allows districts to spend varying funds for diverse books and technology offered in wealthy districts. The money cannot be used for existing programs or faculty members.

"I think (parity aid) is great," he said. "But how do you get the communities that we live in to understand that we have money to buy an orchestra teacher or a teacher of Russian or Japanese, which you can find in a wealthy school district, but we don't have the money to keep the people we have?"

Local officials also see the ruling as temporary, Martin said.

"In the long run, the issue will come up again," he said.

Trimble Local School District Superintendent William White declined to comment pending a news conference today.

– Tschanen Niederkohr contributed.