NEWS

Port Clinton schools lose funds in Kasich cuts

Jon Stinchcomb
Reporter

PORT CLINTON – In a last-minute surprise move, Gov. John Kasich cut $78 million from Ohio school funding prior to signing the state’s operating budget, amounting to $752,220 in lost funds for Port Clinton City School District.

Kasich’s school funding cut came as one of the 44 vetoes he made Tuesday evening to the proposed budget bill.

Prior to being dropped, the $78 million was originally meant to reimburse school districts for the now phased-out tangible personal property tax, commonly referred to as TPP.

Kasich said the cuts will only affect the 2016-2017 school year, which gives the affected districts a year’s time to adjust to the losses. All of Port Clinton’s lost funding comes in fiscal year 2017.

The reason the PCCS district was impacted so heavily by the TPP change is because of its lakeside location producing high property values, despite the fact that residents’ average incomes remain comparatively very low.

The state budget’s school funding formula does not account for a financial “anomaly” like Port Clinton. As such, the district has not received an increase of state funding in any of at least the last five budgets, despite the fact that this year’s is the largest amount Ohio has ever spent on education.

PCCS is set to receive $2,205 per student in 2016, but the number drops to $1,771 per student by 2017. The drop of more than 19 percent is one of the largest of any districts in the state.

jstinchcom@gannet.com

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Twitter: @JonDBN