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Mayors Don Plusquellic of Akron and Rhine McLin of Dayton helped lead an effort to change school funding, but in the end Ohio's big city mayors could not back the plan.

When a constitutional amendment for a new funding system was proposed Wednesday by a coalition of public school groups, the mayors were absent.

"In the final analysis, the proposal, in my opinion, is not complete," Plusquellic said. "It doesn't provide a picture of how we're going to pay for this."

Four times in the 1990s, the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the legislature to change its funding system and reduce the burden on property taxpayers but public school advocates argue the system is substantially the same today. Still, the amendment raised many concerns.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, said the amendment's mandate that Ohio education and local government spending be a priority could force services like health care, senior citizens and hunger relief to take a back seat.

"To pit school children who need a quality education against senior citizens who must make choices between food and medicine is unacceptable," she said.

Spokesman Jim Betts, of "Getting It Right for Ohio's Future," said the group hesitated to mandate a funding source, such as a new tax, in the constitution.

Dayton Public Schools Superintendent Percy Mack supported the idea of including a sales tax for education in the amendment.

"That brings in revenue that deals with everybody," he said. It doesn't overburden the seniors or property taxpayers."

House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, wants more debate, said his spokeswoman, Karen Tabor.

"We've always been asking the school groups to put together a plan. We're pleased they've come forward," she said. "We have our plan. It's the building blocks approach. The school groups have theirs. Right now we are waiting for Gov. Strickland's plan. In the absence of that, we're withholding judgment until we get the governor's plan."

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Questions

and answers

The proposed constitutional amendment would change the way schools are funded in Ohio and make other changes. Here are answers to some key questions:

Q Who's in charge?

A A new 18-member "Education Advisory Commission" would be appointed by the state board of education.

Q What changes?

A The legislature and Gov. Ted Strickland now determine school funding levels every two years based on financial projections, revenue and other factors. The amendment charges the advisory commission and the state school board to define what constitutes a "high quality public education" every two years. That per-student cost would be the new base funding amount.

Q Is there new revenue?

A The amendment leaves it to the legislature and Strickland to fund the per-student amount. The amendment requires lawmakers to move to a special fund the money that the state board and advisory commission decided is required for a "high-quality public education."

Q What about school buildings?

A The amendment wants all schools "safe, educationally adequate and building code compliant" by 2012. Essentially, it requires Ohio's school construction program to be completed.

Q Are property taxes reduced?

A High growth districts would get relief and proponents say the state will pay a larger share for all districts, in turn reducing local property taxes. Critics say higher per-student funding could require more taxes.

Q What if disputes arise?

A Lawmakers can override the funding amount set by the state board and advisory commission with 60 of 99 votes in the House and 20 of 33 votes in the Senate. The legislature must then create its own plan approved by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Q Who benefits besides schools?

A Colleges and local governments would be mandated to receive annual increases in state support. Senior citizens get a property tax reduction.

Q Who's left out?

A The amendment that mandates education and local governments get funded first. Critics worry that programs for health care, seniors, children and poverty could suffer.

— Scott Elliott