House Republican Push to Balance Education Funding Won't Help Lakewood Schools

Feeling the pressure from concerned parents, teachers and constituents, House Republicans offered up some changes late Thursday to GOP Governor John Kasich’s proposed state budget in order to lighten the deep cuts that are planned to hit many of Ohio’s school districts this July. 

The changes proposed by house legislators would include limiting any district’s basic state aid losses to 20 percent, pouring up to $60 million into per-pupil basic state aid and cutting a plan that would allow school officials and personnel to contribute 12 percent apiece into school pension funds, assistant superintendent Jeffrey Patterson said. At the local level, that equates to about $23 per Lakewood pupil,  said.

Kasich’s pension plan would offset district expenses as school personnel would contribute more (from 10 percent to 12 percent) and districts would contribute less (from 14 percent to 12 percent). However, despite the move by legislators to cut the pension plan, it’s still moving forward through the Health and Aging Committee, he said. 

It’s referred to as House Bill 202 and is otherwise known as the Retirement Benefits for Public Employees bill. 

And unfortunately, even in light of the 20 percent basic aid cap and the boost to per-pupil state funding, the Lakewood City Schools would only experience a “minimal positive effect at this point,” he said. 

As it stands, Berdine has projected a 10 percent state funding loss through 2016, which equates to about $1.9 million per year. That figure does not include the $2.2 million they’d lose over the next two years, 2011-13, if the GOP governor decides to accelerate the elimination of lucrative tangible personal property tax guarantees that are handed out to all districts on an annual basis. 

Despite efforts from House Republicans, under Kasich's plan, the district would still lose about $2.2 million during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years.

Patterson said the moves by legislators are small steps in the right direction but noted that, given the current proposed budget, school officials will need to consider putting a levy on the ballot in 2013 to offset the projected losses. It’s his hope that the state’s economic picture will continue to improve to delay that kind of action. 

School board president Matt Markling offered these remarks as the district continues to plan and prepare for what could be a hard road ahead for Lakewood and several of Ohio’s districts: “While I have learned to not speculate on budget bills until everything is finalized because things are always in a state of fluctuation, public education has a significant impact on all facets of our society.  Any cuts coming out of Columbus (or Washington D.C. on the federal level) must minimize the educational impact on our children.

“Understanding that any cuts will have a negative impact on the Lakewood City Schools, the Lakewood Board of Education has been very pro-active in working with our faculty, staff, and administration to protect teaching and learning as much as possible.”