Published: Monday, February 12, 2007
State senator to unveil funding proposal
One Valley lawmaker said he wants to see the governor's funding plan.
By MARC KOVAC
and MICHELLE HLADIK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENTS
COLUMBUS — State Sen. J. Kirk Schuring will unveil his own fix for school funding in coming weeks.
The Canton Republican said he is working on the issue with a group that includes a number of statewide associations and will offer recommendations to legislative leadership and the governor's office.
"We will be unveiling our proposal in the next couple of weeks," he said.
While not disclosing the details, Schuring said his proposal "shifts the burden for school funding from property to sales and income taxes" and would set up partnerships between the business community and the education community as a means for supporting economic development.
Schuring mentioned the proposal in response to a constitutional amendment that is likely headed to the ballot later this year.
The Ohio Ballot Board, which is headed by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, recently signed off on the initiative petition submitted by Getting it Right for Ohio's Future, a consortium of groups that is pushing for the Ohio Constitution to be amended to make a high-quality education a fundamental right for every child.
The group has until early August to collect more than 400,000 valid signatures on petitions for the issue to appear on the November general election ballot.
How they reacted
Local lawmakers had mixed reaction to the proposed amendment.
State Sen. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-33rd, said Gov. Ted Strickland should be given time to offer his school funding recommendations.
"I understand the urgency to try to get this thing corrected and put behind us," he said. "The public has grown weary and cynical of Democrats and Republicans with respect to this issue. But I think we ought to give Gov. Strickland an opportunity to offer some legislative fix first.
"Ultimately, any solution will have to change the mechanics of the school funding formula — something the proposed amendment doesn't outline," Boccieri added.
State Rep. Kenneth Carano of Austintown, D-59th, said he was thrilled with all of the different educational organizations that sat down and worked on the ballot issue.
But he said he sees problems with the measure, including a lack of information about where the money will come from to fund it.
State Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, said he will "support anything the voters are interested in passing. ... I can understand their frustration. The Legislature continues to turn its back on the people who want to improve education."
Hagan said he thinks education will be the top priority during the legislative session. And, while accepting the ballot initiative backers' right to place the issue before voters, he said he thinks the Legislature should decide the issue of funding for schools.
"It should be made by people with all of the information in front of them and not just a 30-second TV ad," he said.
Advancing the issue
Rep. Mark Okey of Carrollton, D-61st, whose district covers parts of Mahoning, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties, said he thinks the ballot initiative will move the school funding issue forward — it sends a message to lawmakers that they'd better come up with a plan now, or they'll have an alternative plan given to them, he said.
Schuring said the proposed amendment would allow other school funding proposals to be presented.
"I think it now will set the stage for something to actually happen in the area of education funding reform," he said. "I think this is one of hopefully what will be several proposals that will be brought forward. ... I think it will create the kind of environment that we haven't had for some time."
He added, "Now other proposals can be offered, other ideas can be shared and we can finally, once and for all, do something about this. ... Something will happen this year."
Monday, February 12, 2007
One Valley lawmaker said he wants to see the governor's funding plan.
By MARC KOVAC
and MICHELLE HLADIK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENTS
COLUMBUS — State Sen. J. Kirk Schuring will unveil his own fix for school funding in coming weeks.
The Canton Republican said he is working on the issue with a group that includes a number of statewide associations and will offer recommendations to legislative leadership and the governor's office.
"We will be unveiling our proposal in the next couple of weeks," he said.
While not disclosing the details, Schuring said his proposal "shifts the burden for school funding from property to sales and income taxes" and would set up partnerships between the business community and the education community as a means for supporting economic development.
Schuring mentioned the proposal in response to a constitutional amendment that is likely headed to the ballot later this year.
The Ohio Ballot Board, which is headed by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, recently signed off on the initiative petition submitted by Getting it Right for Ohio's Future, a consortium of groups that is pushing for the Ohio Constitution to be amended to make a high-quality education a fundamental right for every child.
The group has until early August to collect more than 400,000 valid signatures on petitions for the issue to appear on the November general election ballot.
How they reacted
Local lawmakers had mixed reaction to the proposed amendment.
State Sen. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-33rd, said Gov. Ted Strickland should be given time to offer his school funding recommendations.
"I understand the urgency to try to get this thing corrected and put behind us," he said. "The public has grown weary and cynical of Democrats and Republicans with respect to this issue. But I think we ought to give Gov. Strickland an opportunity to offer some legislative fix first.
"Ultimately, any solution will have to change the mechanics of the school funding formula — something the proposed amendment doesn't outline," Boccieri added.
State Rep. Kenneth Carano of Austintown, D-59th, said he was thrilled with all of the different educational organizations that sat down and worked on the ballot issue.
But he said he sees problems with the measure, including a lack of information about where the money will come from to fund it.
State Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, said he will "support anything the voters are interested in passing. ... I can understand their frustration. The Legislature continues to turn its back on the people who want to improve education."
Hagan said he thinks education will be the top priority during the legislative session. And, while accepting the ballot initiative backers' right to place the issue before voters, he said he thinks the Legislature should decide the issue of funding for schools.
"It should be made by people with all of the information in front of them and not just a 30-second TV ad," he said.
Advancing the issue
Rep. Mark Okey of Carrollton, D-61st, whose district covers parts of Mahoning, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties, said he thinks the ballot initiative will move the school funding issue forward — it sends a message to lawmakers that they'd better come up with a plan now, or they'll have an alternative plan given to them, he said.
Schuring said the proposed amendment would allow other school funding proposals to be presented.
"I think it now will set the stage for something to actually happen in the area of education funding reform," he said. "I think this is one of hopefully what will be several proposals that will be brought forward. ... I think it will create the kind of environment that we haven't had for some time."
He added, "Now other proposals can be offered, other ideas can be shared and we can finally, once and for all, do something about this. ... Something will happen this year."
Monday, February 12, 2007
State Sen. J. Kirk Schuring will unveil his own fix for school funding in coming weeks.
The Canton Republican said he is...
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