Celebs out on Broadway event
2 accidents close I-75 southbound
.jpg)
Glamour's Women of the Year
SCHOOL REFORM
Outline termed a starting point
Governor circulates a list of education reform ideas as part of a March 2009 overhaul proposal.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
DAYTON — Participants in Gov. Ted Strickland's meeting on education policy said on Friday, March 28 that proposals are far from formed and much discussion remains ahead.
A list of education reform ideas circulated in Columbus this week. Strickland's spokesman said the list of ideas, which includes his own plan for a new education director reporting to the governor, came from meetings with business and education leaders.
Extras
Entitled "Summary of Education Reform Process," the document outlines four phases for the creation of an education overhaul proposal by March 2009.
"Today's meeting was just the beginning of a process," said David Varda, executive director of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. "My impression of it was that we're just starting down a path."
Strickland has promised a school funding reform plan by next year and the proposal included several ideas for changes to how the state pays for schools. One idea is aimed at eliminating "phantom revenue," a calculation quirk that can penalize fast-growing school districts.
That plan raises the amount of unvoted local property taxes school districts can impose from 20 mills to 22 mills. That portion or property taxes is permitted to grow with inflation, while additional levies do not.
Varda said that plan creates a trade-off. About 400 mostly low-wealth districts collect only 20 mills from taxpayers. Those districts would get more money.
Wealthier districts would get a smaller state share but more tax money that grows.
Varda said the idea would raise property taxes on homes, but could reduce the number of levies districts would need to seek.
Bill Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, said he fears Strickland's push for a state education director could muddle the reform process.
"We need an independent body," Phillis said. "We had a superintendent attached to the governor's office in the past and then the people voted for something different. If someone wants to vote to take that out of the constitution, that's their prerogative."
