City, RV Schools would be boosted under governor’s education spending plan, others would be cut

Gov. John Kasich said he doesn’t consider his new school funding plan to be a redistribution of income, even as it sends more money to poor districts and less to richer ones.

“It is a conservative point of view in that every kid should be in a position to thrive,” Kasich said.

“I don’t see it as redistribution,” he added. “I see it as a formula for driving resources to kids.”
Is giving more money to poor districts and less to richer ones a redistribution? Tell us below.

In an appearance at the E Prep and Village Prep Woodland Hills charter school campus in Cleveland Wednesday morning, Kasich said he expects “a lot of squawking” when he releases the changes in state aid to individual districts.

About half of Ohio’s districts will see reductions, he said, despite him adding $700 million in aid to schools overall.

The Marion City School district would receive a funding boost of 3,654,822 in Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) for a 10.0% increase and 3,076,879 more, or 7.7%, in FY17.

River Valley Schools would also see an increase of 594,323, or 10.0% in FY16 and 235,786, or 3.6%, more in FY17.

Elgin, Pleasant, and Ridgedale would see cuts in funding.

• Elgin would be cut 120,429, 1.9%, in FY16 and 117,422, 1.9%, in FY17
• Pleasant would be cut 84,186, 2.3%, in FY16 and 83,344, 2.3%, in FY17
• Ridgedale would be cut 67,332, 2.3%, in FY16 and 66,137, 2.3%, in FY17

Earlier estimates showed the cuts as being more severe, but Jim Lynch, a spokesman for the governor, said no district would encounter a large decrease, once both local and state money are considered. The maximum loss would be 3 percent in the first year from both sources.

From the state, the maximum gain is 10 percent a year, or 21 percent over the two years.

Kasich said he wants to send more money to district with less “capacity” to pay for schools and less money to those that have the income and property values to cover the costs.

“You have the capacity to do more to help yourself,” Kasich said.

Click here to view the complete funding data released by the Governor’s office.