Statewide Education News

Kasich expected to focus on education in Tuesday's State of State speech (News-Journal)

In 2009, Gov. Ted Strickland announced a complete overhaul of Ohio's education system. "It is absolutely clear to me that simply tinkering with centuries-old education practices will not prepare Ohio's children for success in college, in the workplace, or in life," Strickland said during the State of the State speech. "Therefore, today I present my plan to build our education system anew." It's not the first time such words were spoken. In his 2001 State of the State speech, Gov. Bob Taft announced a comprehensive plan: “'The Building Blocks for Student Success.' It is achievable.” Read More…

Public schools share services to cut costs (Journal-News)

Public schools facing shrinking budgets should consider sharing more services with other districts to cut costs, local education experts say. Education is expected to be a big part of Gov. John Kasich’s State of the State address Tuesday as he gives it from a Steubenville school in eastern Ohio, but local officials don’t expect an announcement of increased funding from the state to come. Without increased revenues, school districts will be forced to make cuts in costs. An examination by the Journal-News found some local schools are sharing services to cut costs. Read More…

Charter-CPS battle goes to higher court (Enquirer)

An Ohio Supreme Court judge will hear arguments Tuesday in the case of a South Fairmount charter school fighting efforts by Cincinnati Public Schools to shut down its building. The case could set precedent for the way public schools can and can’t handle their vacant buildings. The lower court and an appeals court have already sided with the school, the Theodore Roosevelt Public Charter School, 1550 Tremont Ave. The supreme court agreed in October to hear the case. In June 2009 Cincinnati Public Schools sold nine unused buildings. Read More…

Site of Kasich speech spotlights state's woes (Toledo Blade)

COLUMBUS - Here's one case where people will be getting on a real bus for Gov. John Kasich, not the figurative one he's discussed. The Republican governor will take the apparently unprecedented step Tuesday of taking his second annual State of the State address 150 miles to the northeast. He will use Steubenville, a struggling steel town on the Ohio River, which in many ways has more in common with Pittsburgh than Columbus, to push job creation and related energy, education, and work force development policies. Read More…

Schools may generate revenue from sales of goods, services (Dayton Daily News)

VANDALIA — School districts in Montgomery County could become the first in Ohio to explore new revenue streams — beyond relying on taxes, state and federal aid and donations — under a new bill that would allow them to earn profits on its facilities, services and merchandise. State Rep. Mike Henne, R-Clayton, introduced the bill Friday that would amend current legislation and allow Montgomery County’s 16 school districts to pilot the new program. Read More…

New Ohio bullying law strengthens school policies (WTOL 11 CBS)

TOLEDO – A new law passed on Thursday requires Ohio public schools to expand and update their anti-bullying policies. The Jessica Logan Act is named for a Cincinnati teen who committed suicide after weeks of bullying. Policies must include topics such as bullying on the school bus and bullying via cell phone or online. In addition, districts must now have policies on bullying off school grounds if it disrupts the educational environment. School districts must have a way to report bullying anonymously. Read More…

High school grad calculator changes (Enquirer)

Get ready for graduation rates to drop this year, but don’t blame your high school. Instead, blame the new way Ohio, Kentucky and most other states will be calculating those rates for federal and state rating. A change in federal law in 2008 gave states until this year to begin reporting an official, four-year graduation rate. Until now, states could decide on their own which students to include in their graduation rates. Many, such as Ohio and Kentucky, included students who took longer than four years to graduate. Read More…

Local Issues

Schools smart to share treasurer (News-Journal)

Lexington and Crestline school districts did something last week that many might consider treason -- or at the very least unthinkable. They decided to work together to save money by sharing a treasurer. Christina Bennett will work for both districts for a six-month trial period while the districts determine whether this unique arrangement will work. We think it will, and we think other districts need to follow this excellent example. Read More…

Youngstown school officials rethink district financial needs (Vindicator)

YOUNGSTOWN - The board of education met Friday to remove a levy request from the March 6 ballot, after learning this week that state funding for Youngstown City Schools will drop by $4 million. The district learned that state funding will drop from $80 million to $76 million because of the head count of students that took place in October, which school board President Lock Beachum Sr. said showed a drop of about 200 students more than anticipated. Beachum said the district expected a drop, but $4 million was about $2 million more than anticipated. Read More…

Newark schools to drop activity fees (Newark Advocate)

NEWARK - In an attempt to increase student participation, the Newark City School District is planning to suspend activity fees for all middle and high school athletics and fine arts. The district instituted the fees in 2007 as part of more than $5 million in cuts. All money for extra- and co-curricular activities was removed from the general fund, with students paying $200 for sports and $55 for band, orchestra and choir. Read More…

Monroe schools weighs options as deficit looms (Middletown Journal)

MONROE — In the wake of being placed in fiscal watch Thursday by the state auditor’s office, Monroe Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said the school district is weighing its options as it moves forward. The two main options, Lolli said, are submit another plan to the Ohio Department of Education or pass a resolution stating that the district is unable to propose a plan and request to be placed in fiscal emergency. If Monroe is placed in fiscal emergency, a financial planning and supervision commission would be appointed to oversee the district and adopt a financial recovery plan. Read More…

Editorial

Priority check (Dispatch)

Once again, a bill in the Ohio House would dictate a later start date for most school districts’ academic year to give the state’s tourism industry one more long summer weekend. It was a bad idea in 2007, and it’s a bad idea now. Promoting Ohio’s economy is important, but not more important than making schools more effective. Most experts agree American schools should have longer school days and years, not shorter, if academic performance is to improve. House Bill 191, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hayes, R-Harrison Township, generally would forbid public schools to start the school year before Labor Day. Read More…

Missing pieces (Dispatch)

The dispute over a London charter school’s finances illustrates what’s still wrong with charter-school law in Ohio: While the state has made progress in holding charters accountable for what happens in the classroom, laws regarding how charters are structured allow fundamental conflicts of interest that undermine their purpose. The greatest weakness in Ohio’s charter-school system is a lack of clear boundaries between the principal players in a charter school: The governing board, which creates the school and is responsible for it. Read More…