Ohio would spend $400M more on school funding under proposal

COLUMBUS — Estimates show Ohio would spend $400 million more on school funding next fiscal year under a proposed overhaul of its formula.
Its creators say no school districts would lose money next year, and over 500 of the 610 districts would get additional funding during the upcoming two-year budget.

Representatives John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and  Bob Cupp (R-Lima) led the workgroup crafting the proposal. They say it’s a fairer division of local and state funding, and factors in costs of educating a child and a community’s capacity to help pay.

They emphasized the estimates are preliminary.

The school-funding system has been repeatedly adjusted since the Ohio Supreme Court found it unconstitutional in 1997.

Advocates say fairer funding could help address an achievement gap correlated to poverty.