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Legislators Abandon Fair School Funding Plan, Funnel State Support Away from High-Poverty Districts: Great Public Education Isn't Cheap, but Ohio Spends Far More on Tax Breaks for the Wealthy and Corporations. Policy Brief

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Legislators Abandon Fair School Funding Plan, Funnel State Support Away from High-Poverty Districts: Great Public Education Isn't Cheap, but Ohio Spends Far More on Tax Breaks for the Wealthy and Corporations. Policy Brief
Language: English
Authors: Molly Bryden, Policy Matters Ohio
Source: Policy Matters Ohio. 2025.
Availability: Policy Matters Ohio. 3631 Perkins Avenue Suite 4C East, Cleveland, OH 44114. Tel: 216-361-9801; Fax: 216-361-9817; Web site: http://policymattersohio.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 5
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Public Schools, Budgets, State Aid, Educational Finance, Financial Support, Resource Allocation, Tax Credits, Tax Allocation, Educational Equity (Finance), Low Income Students, School Districts, Poverty, School District Wealth, Expenditure per Student, Disadvantaged Youth, Minority Group Students, Educational Legislation, Institutional Evaluation, Economically Disadvantaged, Funding Formulas
Geographic Terms: Ohio
Abstract: Every child deserves a supportive, well-resourced learning environment where they can thrive. In Ohio, access to high-quality education too often depends on where a child lives, their race, or how much money their family has in the bank. The Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) was designed to fix that decades-old, unconstitutional disparity. This year, Ohio's legislature abandoned it. The FSFP determines the amount of state funding provided to Ohio's public-school districts based on local capacity and the actual cost of educating Ohio's kids. Instead of adequately funding critical investments in public schools, Ohio legislators prioritized a billion-dollar giveaway to Ohioans making six figures or more. The FSFP's formula considers each district's capacity to raise revenue through local funding streams, like property taxes or tax levies, and delivers additional state support to districts with lower levels of community wealth. The legislature's departure from the FSFP strips resources from districts that need them most, creating an uncertain funding landscape for all school districts in the future. By refusing to fully fund the FSFP, legislators ensure further cost-shifting to local revenue sources with less state support in future budget cycles. Because legislators opted to dismantle the FSFP, which was based on real and current costs of educating all students, accounting for districts' unique needs, districts that rely on state support the most will see funding cuts, while wealthy districts will see increases in state support.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676735
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Every child deserves a supportive, well-resourced learning environment where they can thrive. In Ohio, access to high-quality education too often depends on where a child lives, their race, or how much money their family has in the bank. The Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) was designed to fix that decades-old, unconstitutional disparity. This year, Ohio's legislature abandoned it. The FSFP determines the amount of state funding provided to Ohio's public-school districts based on local capacity and the actual cost of educating Ohio's kids. Instead of adequately funding critical investments in public schools, Ohio legislators prioritized a billion-dollar giveaway to Ohioans making six figures or more. The FSFP's formula considers each district's capacity to raise revenue through local funding streams, like property taxes or tax levies, and delivers additional state support to districts with lower levels of community wealth. The legislature's departure from the FSFP strips resources from districts that need them most, creating an uncertain funding landscape for all school districts in the future. By refusing to fully fund the FSFP, legislators ensure further cost-shifting to local revenue sources with less state support in future budget cycles. Because legislators opted to dismantle the FSFP, which was based on real and current costs of educating all students, accounting for districts' unique needs, districts that rely on state support the most will see funding cuts, while wealthy districts will see increases in state support.