Half of the total number of schools in Ohio might have decreased budget next year as per the plan of Gov. John Kasich. Less money will be given to schools whose number of enrollees continue to drop.
The schools that have lost more than five percent of their student population from the school years from 2011 to last year are expected to have lesser budgets. Some of the affected schools are Northridge and Benton-Carroll-Salem.
Schools that have higher and growing population, on the other hand, will possibly have more money or the same amount of money received every year. Some of the unaffected schools are Licking Heights and Chillicothe.
The schools that will definitely see an increase in their funding is Marion City and Pleasant Local. The state aid for Marion City is expected to be at $44,778,956, which is $2 million more as opposed to the budget they have been receiving. For Pleasant Local Schools, the institution will be receiving $4,237,393, which is more than $100,0000 increase compared to the past budgets, The Marion Star reported.
The other school district expected to see a decrease in their state aid are Elgin, Ridgedale, and River Valley. Elgin is set to see a $255,158 decrease in their budget, while Ridgedale will see a $149,606 decrease.
"If you have fewer students, how can you expect the same or more money? It doesn't make sense to keep giving schools the same amount of money when they need fewer resources," Kasich said in a statement.
The proposal will still undergo deliberation at the Ohio House and Senate. In the past, these two bodies have stopped plans to cut state aid for schools. It is unclear if the same will happen this year.
Under the plan of Kasich, Newark Advocate reported at least 289 of the 610 schools would lose money. Although most schools that will see a decrease in their state aid are those that have declining number of students, not all schools losing enrollees will suffer from the Kasich plan.
The property values, income level of residents, and the kinds of students enrolled in the schools will still be considered. The final budget should be passed before July 1.
