Kasich Says School Funding Increased

In his proposed budget Gov. John Kasich points to an increase in general revenue fund spending through fiscal year 2015. But school officials are skeptical.

Gov. John Kasich says that his proposed state budget, if passed, would increase the education funding above 2011 levels.  In a bold statement, Kasich also noted that state funding for schools has gone up each year he’s been in office, according to a press release issued on Friday. However, that’s a claim that doesn't satisfy some local school officials. State budget and school officials told Patch that there would be no additional cuts moving forward, despite the loss of federal stimulus money. (See the attached press release at the right.) “The governor was insistent that no district receive less dollars than they do today,” said Jim Lynch, the special advisor to the director of the office of budget and management.  In a press release, …

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Gov. Kasich Proposes Increasing School Funding, Lessening Mandates

The governor’s plan also includes funds for a special grant, designed to encourage schools to try new approaches to increasing achievement and decreasing cost.

Gov. John Kasich today unveiled his school funding reform plan, “Achievement Everywhere,” which aims to distribute funds fairly to districts and give principals more autonomy. The plan will be part of the governor’s overall 2014-2015 budget proposal, which is expected to be released next week. Thursday’s proposal includes $1.2 billion in new money for schools during the next two years.  Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook Kasich told reporters on a conference call Thursday afternoon that the additional money is possible because the state has cut costs in other areas and brought in new jobs, which increases the state’s overall revenue. He said his plan would be fully funded from the start, rather than phased in over time. Ohio’s …

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Cuyahoga County Public Library System Planned Ahead for State Cuts

The system will lose money under the new state budget, but there are no plans for cuts to services.

Libraries may have less to work with under the new state budget, but visitors to the Cuyahoga County Public Library system shouldn’t expect to see any cuts, officials say. According to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, the Public Library Fund received about $368 million in fiscal year 2011. In fiscal year 2012, that fund is expected to receive $354 million and $345 million in fiscal year 2013.  The methodology for libraries’ funding has changed in this budget, said Scott Morgan, operations director and fiscal officer for the Cuyahoga County Public Library system. The last biennium budget allocated a percentage—almost 2 percent—of the state’s general revenue to the Public Library Fund.  This new budget bases the allocation on the …

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5 Things To Know Today

5 Things You Need to Know Today

Learn Latin dance, watch Oprah's farewell and plan for the weather

So Long, Oprah! Oprah Winfrey will bid farewell to network TV today on her last show for ABC. Her own network — called OWN — will go blank during the finale, and Oprah will share her life lessons during the last hour. Try something new: Ever wanted to learn Latin dance? Today is your chance, and it’s only $10. Visit Nichy at the Cleveland Ballroom Company for beginning salsa and merengue tonight at 8 p.m.  Today in History: Cleveland native Jesse Owens broke three world record in collegiate track and field during the Big Ten Conference.  News from our neighbors: Solon Patch posted this video Tuesday of one of the governor’s education policy officials talking school budgets at a Solon education forum.  Weather check: It’s nice and warm this…

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Beachwood City Schools Expect Further Revenue Decrease

Latest five-year forecast calls for 10 percent revenue decrease by 2015

The Beachwood City Schools Board of Education will consider an amendment to the district’s five-year forecast that decreases its expected revenue by $1.5 million by 2015. Michelle Mills, district treasurer, said that the reductions are rooted in a few factors, including budget cuts from the state and lower-than-expected real estate tax collections. The original forecast, published in October 2010, called for a 9 percent decrease in revenue; the amendments pull that up to 10 percent. By 2015, the district expects a 13 percent increase in expenses down from the 26 percent increase forecasted in October. The biggest costs to the district, as to most others, are payroll and benefits.  Mills noted that because of falling state and tax revenue, …

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State Budget Proposal Would Cut Most of Beachwood's State Funding

2011 state support made up less than 3 percent of district's total revenue

Beachwood  schools' state funding, which makes up less than 3 percent of its total revenue, will be nearly eliminated in 2012 if Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s two-year budget plan is approved. According to information released Thursday by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, Beachwood’s 2012 state support is proposed at $21,453. In 2011, it received $884,000, which made up less than 3 percent of the district's revenue. A statement released by the Ohio OBM indicates that the funding was determined based on several factors, including each school district’s property value, how much federal stimulus funding it received and its population. These numbers were entered into a formula that was created to ease the burden of the loss in federal …

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Steve Rosen

4:12 pm on Friday, March 25, 2011

My vacation reading has been Educational Economics, Where Do School Funds Go? by Marguerite Roza. It is a very interesting analysis of school funding formulas along with a series of recommendations. What a confusing set-up we have. Although I had admired Dr. Markwardt before, after reading this and seeing how he has been making prudent cuts within the system, I have an entirely new level of …   more ›

Cuyahoga County Library, Already Dealing With State Budget Cuts, Stares Down Another Round

The Cuyahoga County Library, which includes the branch in Solon, could see state funding cut again

In 2009, the Cuyahoga County Public Library dealt with a $14 million shortfall prompted by state budget cuts by reducing staff, increasing late fines, slashing money used for purchasing books and other materials and closing most branch locations on Sunday. The downward funding trend looks likely to continue. Gov. John Kasich's two-year budget proposal, released earlier this week, would continue cutting state public library funding by 5 percent in 2012 and 2013. Statewide, cuts could total more than $160 million over the two years. The Cuyahoga County Library receives about 30 percent of its funding from the state, said spokesman Robert Rua. How the system, which includes a branch in Solon, deals with the possibility of less state money …

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