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Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2007 > March > 18 > Entry
Why we are better off (and worse off)
Take a look at some data that both supports and disputes the notion that Ohio is better off today than before the supreme court first ruled school funding unconstitutional:
Why we are better off
Test scores are up
In the last decade, Ohio schoolchildren have seen their test scores improve, both on state tests and national tests, but their standing compared to other states has not dramatically changed.
On the national assessment of educational progress (also known as the NAEP or the nation’s report card), Ohio has made big gains in math and small gains in reading. The state’s SAT and ACT scores are practically unchanged except on SAT math, where scores are up.
New schools have been built
Ohio is spending $3 million a day on school construction through the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Since 1997, the OSFC has spent more than $5 billion on more than 481 new or renovated school construction projects in more than 190 school districts, completely addressing the facility needs of 114 of those districts.
The commission was funded with Ohio’s $12 billion share of the national tobacco settlement, largely in response to complaints about the poor shape of Ohio’s school buildings. In 1996, a report by the federal General Accounting Office called Ohio’s school buildings the most deteriorated in the nation, with a need for $25 billion in repairs.
Families have more school options
In 1997, the Ohio legislature passed a law permitting charter schools and the first charter schools opened in 1998. An additional 3,100 Ohio kids now attend private schools using state tax money through the voucher program. The combined enrollment of all school choice programs is still less than 4.5 percent of all Ohio schoolchildren.
This year more than 76,000 students attend 310 charter schools statewide using $529 million in state aid. An additional 3,100 Ohio kids now attend private schools using state tax money through the voucher program. Combined that is still less than 4.5 percent of all Ohio schoolchildren.
More money is being spent on education
From 1992 to 1998, per pupil spending increased at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in Ohio. But from 1999 to 2004, the annual rate was 6.4 percent while the same figure nationally was 5.1 percent.
According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, Ohio ranked 24th in the nation in spending per pupil in 1997 at about $5,500. In 2004, spending per pupil ranked 16th in the nation at $8,963. From 1992 to 1998, per pupil spending increased at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in Ohio but from 1999 to 2004, the annual rate was 6.4 percent while the same figure nationally was 5.1 percent.
Why we are worse off
Curriculum may be narrowing
Some parents and teachers complain that Ohio’s education system overhaul, in favor of a heavy emphasis on testing, crowds out enriching activities in favor more test preparation. In a national study released last year that included Ohio, the Center on Education Policy said 72 percent of school districts reported students spent fewer hours learning music, history, art and other subjects to focus on tested subjects like reading and math.
Property tax burden remains The Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly ordered that Ohio reduce the reliance on property tax to fund schools. But school districts say they are forced to ask voters for more property taxes now than at any time in the past decade.
There’s been a steep climb in the number of school levies across Ohio in the past three years and a corresponding decline in the success rate for those levies.
Between 1996 and 2002, Ohio saw an average of 415 property tax levies each year and voters approved a strong majority — 60 percent. But since 2003, the average number of levies has climbed by more than 100 per year to 530 annually. And for the first time this decade, a majority of levies failed. Only 49 percent of school levies passed between 2002 and 2005 with just 45 percent passing in 2004. The high for the decade was 69 percent of school levies passing in 2000.
Choice programs are costly
Opponents of school choice say money lost by school districts when students enroll elsewhere makes it more difficult to manage complicated budgets in large urban districts. Dayton Public Schools alone has transferred $183 million to charter schools over the last decade — the equivalent of its annual core operating budget for one full school year.
The district’s charter school financial hit grew quickly — doubling every two to three years from 1999 to 2005. The charter school transfer amount for Dayton was — $299,000 in 1998-99, $7.5 million in 1999-2000, $15 million in 2000-01, $19.9 million in 2001-02; $27 million in 2002-03; $35 million in 2003-04; $43 million in 2004-05.
Districts say cash is drying up
Lawmakers made three big changes that cut revenue to school districts in the past three years. Ohio is phasing out an inventory tax on business and an adjustment for districts in expensive counties. It also cut “parity aid” for low wealth districts. These changes cost Dayton Public Schools $10 million a year, or about 5.5 percent of its core budget. Ohio also will phase out tangible personal property tax. Dayton receives $25 million a year from this tax, which the state is reducing by 20 percent a year. School districts are being reimbursed by the state for those lost dollars, but there is no plan for reimbursement after 2011.
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