Proposal Has Put Schools in a Bind

By Jennifer Smith Richards, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Jan. 19–Forget arguing about whether the proposed school-funding fix — the one that could become a constitutional amendment — will work.

The immediate debate in school districts: whether to go to voters in November and ask for more money, when the amendment also would be on the ballot.

School treasurers say the early word is that districts will skip the November ballot to avoid voter confusion. Some districts say they’ll opt for spring elections, although they say uncertainty might confuse voters then, too.

The May filing deadline is Feb. 22.

“Anytime the biennial budget comes up or a constitutional amendment comes up, it muddies the water,” said Pickerington treasurer Vince Utterback. “And people are waiting to see what the governor’s going to do.”

The worry is that the public will assume the constitutional amendment will take care of school finances and that any additional local taxes would be unnecessary, said Joyce Boyer, treasurer of Canal Winchester schools.

Both Canal Winchester and Pickerington are deciding when to go to voters and sorting through what the amendment would mean for their finances.

The proposal would guarantee every student a “high quality education.” If it passes, the State Board of Education would need to define that term and what it would cost. Then, the General Assembly would have to figure out how to pay for it.

Supporters say the plan would shift the burden of funding schools from local voters to the state. Each district would be required to contribute the equivalent of 20 mills of local taxes, unless voters decide they want “extras.”

Some districts say they can’t avoid the ballot this year, despite the uncertainty of the amendment and a new governor who has promised to change the funding system.

“We have an income tax that expires this year and we cannot afford to lose this revenue stream of multiple millions of dollars on the possibility that something might happen that could be good at some point in time,” said Newark Superintendent Keith Richards. “It would be irresponsible on our part not to be on the ballot in May.”

The Licking County district will seek a 1 percent income tax, he said.

North Fork schools, also in Licking County, are asking voters to approve a 1 percent earned income tax in February, which would tax only “earned income” such as paychecks. But district officials are trying to counteract the assumption that the tax isn’t needed because a funding fix is on the horizon, Superintendent Tom Slater said.

“We’ve advised our folks to make sure people are aware (that the amendment) is probably the best opportunity we have of fixing the school-funding issue at the present time,” Slater said. “However, if it is successful, we won’t see any significant change in school funding until 2010 because of the time frame.”

South-Western school officials are prepared to tell voters that both the constitutional amendment and an emergency levy are necessary.

“Our need is now. We can’t wait until 2011 when something would be fully funded,” said district spokesman Jeff Warner. The school board, which will weigh levy options next week, is expected to return to voters this year.

Meanwhile, residents who have opposed school-tax increases say they’re prepared to renew the fight if the amendment passes.

If the state pitches in a greater share for school funding, residents should expect school districts to reduce the local tax burden, said Kathy Larzelere, who led a charge against South-Western levies with a group called Taxpayers for Enhanced Administrative Management.

“Hopefully, it would encourage districts to not go for new levies,” she said. “If this would go through and they would start receiving additional money from the state, (the district) would have to give a very, very good reason — in black and white — as to why they would continue to have to ask more money from the people in the district.”

Hilliard and New Albany-Plain officials have said they’ll lighten the load on taxpayers if the amendment passes. Other districts say they’re taking a closer look at the amendment’s impact and what they’ll need from taxpayers to run their schools.

jsmithrichards@dispatch.com

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

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