Lima Reporter

The State of Ohio has made it a top priority to find a funding model for public schools that relies less on taxpayers to provide a quality education for Ohio’s public-school students. State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) highlighted the unprecedented increase in public-school funding in Ohio, stating, “This amount of public-school funding is unprecedented in Ohio. In this biennium’s operating budget, we allocated more than $16.3 billion to public schools.” King emphasized the positive impact of the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Formula, which will see top-performing schools like Coldwater Exempted Village Schools receiving a significant increase in state funding from $7.6 million in 2020 to $9.6 million by 2025.

While the new funding formula focuses more on enrollment rather than property valuations, concerns have been raised regarding potential reductions in revenue due to homestead exemption legislation. King reassured that there are safeguards in place to prevent schools from being underfunded, stating, “The State recognizes the importance of public education, so there are guard rails in place to ensure schools will not be shortchanged any State funding.”

Schools have been urged to seek additional funding through levies as a proactive measure against potential decreases in state funding. King criticized the knee-jerk reactions to changes in the state funding formula, stating, “These levies are knee-jerk reactions to changes in the state funding formula and fears of legislation that hasn’t even passed through the legislature.” She emphasized that public schools will continue to receive appropriate funding to support the education of Ohio's children.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s public-school five-year forecasting model further supports the positive outlook for Ohio’s public schools, showing a steady increase in funding. This reaffirms the commitment of the state to provide necessary resources for the continued success of public education in Ohio.