County schools fare better under House budget plan

LANCASTER – The two funding proposals dealing with the biennial budget bill before the Ohio General Assembly — Ohio Gov. John Kasich's plan and the one released Tuesday by the Ohio House Finance Committee — have different consequences for the school districts in Fairfield.

"Well, it is kind of frustrating," Amanda-Clearcreek schools Superintendent David Gaul said. "We have students, staff and the community making plans for next year, but we've got to see what happens."

A plan by the Ohio House released Tuesday would restore many of the school district cuts that Kasich had initially proposed in his version of the biennial budget bill.

Under Kasich's original proposal, five of the eight public school districts in Fairfield County would have seen decreases in their state funding ranging from an $118,113 loss for Walnut Township schools to $1.3 million being cut from Pickerington schools.

Under the Ohio House version released Tuesday, no Fairfield County districts would lose state money.

Amanda could see nearly a $1 million difference between the two versions. Under the Kasich plan, the district's state revenue would have been cut by $308,711, and under the Ohio House version, revenue would increase by $627,831.

Gaul said he's hoping something closer to the House version of the bill is passed.

"We are not talking about cutting any programing under these proposals, but clearly, we are constantly reviewing our programming to see what works, and if something like the House version is passed, we will be able to keep our programming as it is," Gaul said.

Randy Cotner, superintendent of the financially troubled Walnut Township schools, said district officials were happier with the House version.

"We'd be happy to break even, but under the governor's plan, we would have lost money," Cotner said. "From the issues of Buckeye Lake to our problems, this is about the best financial news we could have heard."

Under the Ohio House version, Walnut Township would receive $24,258 increase over the two years. Cotner said the additional money that might be coming from the state wouldn't help the district that much; it might not even cover inflationary costs.

The district was placed in fiscal caution by the Ohio Department of Education in January. More than $100,000 in budget cuts have been made for the 2014-15 fiscal year. About $750,000 in budget cuts for the 2015-16 fiscal year have been approved by the board of education, and a 7-mill property tax emergency levy has been placed on the May 5 ballot.

"That is why it is very important for voters to pass the May levy," Cotner said. "The Ohio budget still has to go through the Ohio Senate and will probably be changed again before it is done. Of course, we'd be happier to get a little more money from the state than being cut. The Ohio House version is a small ray of financial sunshine."

Fairfield Union schools would see no change in state money while Berne Union and Bloom Carroll schools would see increases of more than 15 percent over two years, which adds up to more than $500,000 for each district.

Lancaster schools' state financing would still see an increase of more than 7 percent over two years, earning it $1.8 million more, but that is down from the $3.8 it would get under the Kasich plan.

"Well, we knew there were going to be changes to Kasich's bill. There were just too many losers on that, although we would have benefited," Lancaster superintendent Steve Wigton said. "As long as the increase keeps up with inflation, that will help us."

Wigton said the fluctuation in the state amounts also points to why the district really needs the city voters in November to approve the renewal of a 1.5 percent earned income tax levy lasting 10 years. The earned income tax brings in about $10.7 million for operating expenses, or about 18 percent of the school's budget.

"There's still going to be changes in the state's budget bill, but we want it to remain in the positive realm," Wigton said. "Of course, we'd always like the higher amount coming back to our district."

cburnett@lancastereaglegazette.com

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Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr

School funding plans