Constitutional School Funding:
Fair School Funding Plan
State and Local Share
Public schools are primarily funded by state and local contributions. State contributions include xx, while local contributions rely heavily on local property tax revenue. The reliance on local property taxes to fund education creates massive disparities across Ohio by advantaging wealthier districts over lower income and impoverished communities. Communities with high property values can collect large sums for their public schools, while those with low property values cannot leverage as much in property taxes. These disparities are exacerbated as the state decreases its own contributions and divests the remaining contributions to charter and noncharter private schools.
Unconstitutional School Funding
In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the school funding system was unconstitutional because it failed to provide adequate resources and to distribute state resources in an equitable manner, as required by the Ohio Constitution, The court specifically criticized the funding mechanism for its over-reliance on property taxes as a barrier to equitable funding. Two essential components of Ohio's constitutional system are for the state to contribute more to funding public schools, and to base the state’s investment on the actual cost of education.
Public schools are primarily funded by state and local contributions. State contributions include xx, while local contributions rely heavily on local property tax revenue. The reliance on local property taxes to fund education creates massive disparities across Ohio by advantaging wealthier districts over lower income and impoverished communities. Communities with high property values can collect large sums for their public schools, while those with low property values cannot leverage as much in property taxes. These disparities are exacerbated as the state decreases its own contributions and divests the remaining contributions to charter and noncharter private schools.
Unconstitutional School Funding
In 1997, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the school funding system was unconstitutional because it failed to provide adequate resources and to distribute state resources in an equitable manner, as required by the Ohio Constitution, The court specifically criticized the funding mechanism for its over-reliance on property taxes as a barrier to equitable funding. Two essential components of Ohio's constitutional system are for the state to contribute more to funding public schools, and to base the state’s investment on the actual cost of education.
Fair School Funding Plan - Cupp-Patterson Bill
In 2015, Senator Bob Cupp and Representative John Patterson partnered to develop a transparent, equitable, and sustainable formula to address Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system. The plan was introduced in the 133rd General Assembly as House Bill xx
Read complete Fair School Funding Plan HERE
Read analysis of Fair School Funding Plan HERE
Key features of the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan:
Reps Cupp and Patterson introduced the Cupp-Patterson plan as House Bill xx in 2020. HB xx passed the House with overwhelming bi-partisan approval, but failed to pass the Senate and was instead written into the state budget with a six-year phase in schedule. This means that full funding, and full implementation of the plan, must be advocated for each state budgeting process. In 2023, we have completed two years of the planned six year implementation period.
In 2015, Senator Bob Cupp and Representative John Patterson partnered to develop a transparent, equitable, and sustainable formula to address Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system. The plan was introduced in the 133rd General Assembly as House Bill xx
Read complete Fair School Funding Plan HERE
Read analysis of Fair School Funding Plan HERE
Key features of the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan:
- It uses the actual cost of education to establish the base cost for the budget, providing a more precise calculation of how to account for each local district's capacity.
- It ended deduction funding for charters and voucher programs that would divert funding away from local schools, subsidizing private education for some students instead.
- It established funding levels for "categorial aid," meaning for categories of students who would require additional resources in some way (like kids who need additional resources to get up to reading at their grade level, or kids whose families are in poverty).
Reps Cupp and Patterson introduced the Cupp-Patterson plan as House Bill xx in 2020. HB xx passed the House with overwhelming bi-partisan approval, but failed to pass the Senate and was instead written into the state budget with a six-year phase in schedule. This means that full funding, and full implementation of the plan, must be advocated for each state budgeting process. In 2023, we have completed two years of the planned six year implementation period.
Ohio's state-level leaders have multiple opportunities to help achieve these goals:
In his February 2023 State of the State address, Governor DeWine promised to continue the funding of the Fair School Funding Plan, but more than just the financial allocations are needed.
- Continue to support the ongoing implementation of the plan. A six-year phase-in was laid out for the Fair School Funding Plan; we have accomplished 2 of those 6 years.
- Call for the studies that are needed to undergird the methodology of the Fair School Funding Plan formula. For instance, we need to have a complete understanding of what it costs to educate a child living in poverty. In order to plan and accurately fund for the needs of districts that serve children who live in poverty, we need to study that category of student, understand their needs, and understand the financial commitment required to adequately support that child.
- Complete the implementation of the fair school funding commission, which has always been a part of the Fair School Funding Plan. This commission should be tasked with uncovering problems throughout the implementation process, and devising ways to make the program work better for Ohio's families.
In his February 2023 State of the State address, Governor DeWine promised to continue the funding of the Fair School Funding Plan, but more than just the financial allocations are needed.