Statewide Stories of the Day

Ohio’s school funding fares well in report (Dispatch)

As the Ohio House prepares for another series of hearings on the school-funding formula next week, a new report shows that, from a national perspective, Ohio schools are doing better than most financially. When ranked on four criteria relating to how the state allotted and distributed funding in 2009 — the most-recent year of data available — Ohio was one of three states to receive an A in distributing funds fairly among districts of varying income levels. Read more...

Cleveland schools bill among several sent to Gov. John Kasich for signature (Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS — A bill containing Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s schools reform plan is among 16 bills that officially were delivered to Gov. John Kasich Wednesday for his signature. Kasich, a Republican, is expected to publicly sign the Cleveland schools bill in the near future alongside Jackson, a Democrat, in Cleveland. The bills sent to Kasich all were passed last week in a flurry of legislative action before lawmakers went on their lengthy summer break. Read more...

Summer Reading Program Focuses On State Standards (ONN)

CINCINNATI - The National Underground Railroad Freedom center is one of four organizations hosting the Freedom Schools this summer in Cincinnati. Officials said 50 students are at each school, learning to love a good book. Adonya Streat, 9, will be in fourth grade this fall and enjoys reading Dr. Seuss books, like Green Eggs and Ham. The Children's Defense Fund are running these six week schools which is free for low income students, reported ONN's Lot Tan. Read more...

Treasurers accused of mishandling $1.4 million (Dayton Daily News)

Two treasurers listed on a state audit released Tuesday of a now-closed local charter school are responsible for a combined $1.4 million in allegedly mishandled public funds, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis. Carl Shye and Edward Dudley were both named in an audit released Tuesday of the Carter G. Woodson Institute, which closed in July 2010. The audit singled out $168,772 in allegedly mishandled public funds in that school’s waning months. Read more...

Local Issues

Probe might hinder Columbus schools’ levy (Dispatch)

A citizens committee is leaning toward recommending that Columbus City Schools place no levy on the ballot in November, saying that voters might not see past the cloud created by an investigation into why district employees changed thousands of student-attendance records. Eight of the 11 members who were present yesterday on the 14-member panel said they favored or leaned toward delaying a levy request until at least spring. Three other members wanted to go forward or appeared wary about waiting. Read more...

Board approves increase in insurance premiums (Vindicator)

Canfield - School board members approved a 5 percent increase in medical-insurance premiums for the upcoming school year. They approved the increase during Wednesday’s meeting where four of the five board members were present. Three voted yes with board President Adrianne Sturm abstaining because she purchases the district’s insurance. Sturm said it’s standard for premiums to increase each year, and a 5 percent increase is fairly low. Read more...

Reynoldsburg may shut charter school (Dispatch)

A local charter school could be suspended next week for suspected nepotism and a poor financial outlook. Reynoldsburg school board members voted Tuesday to suspend operation of Virtual Community School of Ohio, the online charter school that the district sponsors. To keep the school open, its officials must prove it was legal to hire relatives of the superintendent and that the school can make financial ends meet. Read more...

Lakota losing principals at high rate (Enquirer)

LIBERTY TWP. — The financial woes of one of the area’s highest-rated school districts has helped drive away more than half its principals in the last two school years. Of Lakota Schools’ 20 building principal positions, seven – 35 percent – have recently resigned due to retirement or other jobs. That follows the 2010-11 school year, which saw four principals depart, leaving Lakota with a 55 percent turnover rate among its school building leaders since spring 2011. Read more...

City school students may get free lunches this fall (Vindicator)

Youngstown - It turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch. All city school students will get a free lunch beginning this fall if the district’s application for a new program is approved. The Community Eligibility Option provides free reimbursement to districts for all students if the district includes 62.5 percent students who are directly certified as eligible through food stamps. In the city school district, 76 percent of students are directly certified while 93 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunches under federal guidelines. Read more...

Proposed bond issue for Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools' master facilities plan reduced to 5.9 mills (Sun News)

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS - It appears the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board is moving forward with Plan C, the comprehensive master facilities plan that would require a bond issue on the November ballot. Steve Shergalis, the district’s director of business services, presented a list of funding options for the plan to the board at a work session June 18 at Wiley Middle School. The primary expense is a proposed 5.9-mill bond issue that would generate $137.2 million over a 37-year period. Read more...

Editorial

Gone studyin’ (Beacon Journal)

The Ohio House Finance Committee spent the spring brushing up on the basics of the school funding system. The House plans several regional hearings on the issue during the summer break. When it comes to funding public education, it is hard to say Ohio legislators have not done due diligence in one aspect: studying the issue. Since the Ohio Supreme Court first ruled the state’s funding system unconstitutional, a succession of governors and legislators have promised earnestly to come up with a plan that would fix funding inequities. Read more...

Teacher prep (Chicago Tribune)

The best way to boost public education in Illinois is to make sure only the best teachers lead classrooms. Two years ago, Illinois took a huge stride toward that goal: The Illinois State Board of Education dramatically lifted standards for college students who want to become teachers. The board required college students to correctly answer about 75 percent of questions on a basic skills test in math, reading and language arts — as well as master a writing test — before they can be admitted to their colleges' teacher prep programs. Read more...