COLUMBUS, Ohio — Governor John Kasich’s two-year budget proposal contains changes for Ohio’s schools and money for Medicaid expansion.
EXTRA: Budget highlights
Education officials plan to provide further details of proposed changes to the funding of public school districts and regulation of charter schools.
Kasich’s $72.3 billion, two-year state operating budget calls for cracking down on charter school sponsors rated ineffective or poor under a new state law.
The budget proposal also makes revisions to Ohio’s school funding formula that the governor says better reflect the income levels of different districts. He says the changes for the first time allow the state to collect money from wealthier districts that are better able to afford the costs of operation so the money can be given to needier districts.
Kasich also wants to see early college opportunities expanded.
The budget calls for $500,000 to develop a competency-based training program with input from job creators so Ohioans can learn the essential skills needed for some jobs where employers are looking for applicants. The spending blue print also provides $18.5 million to train more teachers in college instruction and reward schools that exceed a high level of participation in the program.
“We’re grateful that Governor Kasich has once again made higher education a key priority for the state. We look forward to continuing to work together as we explore the most efficient and effective ways to achieve our mutual goals,” Ohio State University president Michael Drake said.
The budget limits tuition increases in the first year and freezes them in the second year, proposes using college campuses during summer breaks for lower-income students, allow two-year colleges to offer some bachelor’s degrees and provides an additional $8 million to enhance several scholarships.
Ohio’s budget director says the plan would continue to fund an expansion of the Medicaid health program.
The administration extended Medicaid eligibility in 2013 to cover thousands more low-income residents, as allowed under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Kasich needs legislative approval to continue funding it after June.
“I applaud Gov. John Kasich for his continued efforts to fortify Ohio’s health care safety net. There are countless of examples of how access to coverage has improved the lives of our most vulnerable citizens,” executive director Sandy Theis of the progressive policy group ProgressOhio said in a statement.
Budget director Tim Keen said Monday that Kasich’s budget appropriates money to continue the expansion.
Obama’s law calls for Washington to pay the full cost of the extension through 2016 and 95 percent in 2017, so Ohio will have to kick in some money to support the expansion.
Ohio Medicaid also will seek authority from federal officials to charge a monthly premium to recipients at or above 100 percent of the federal poverty level.