State Education News

Green Twp. couple takes reins in Columbus (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Lou and Debe Terhar laugh at the suggestion that they are Southwest Ohio’s new power couple in the state capital…Read more...

Trainer deal benefits hospital, schools (Columbus Dispatch)

After the day’s final bell rings at Fairbanks High School, the student-athletes cram into the locker room, and the wrist tape and ankle wraps soon fly…Read more...

Geauga County studying school districts, could consider consolidation (Willoughby News Herald)

Will some Geauga County school districts be facing consolidation or other alternatives in light of unrelenting money problems?…Read more...

Local Education News

SWL considers its policy for students, staff charging school lunches (Newark Advocate)

Southwest Licking Schools might soon have a policy governing the maximum number of meals students in the school-lunch program can charge, even though the amount of unpaid charges were reduced dramatically in November…Read more...

Heights must adjust snow removal plans in wake of spending cuts (Newark Advocate)

Licking Heights has had to revamp its snow removal policy in the wake of budget reductions, and the move could influence the cleanliness of classrooms…Read more...

Response ‘overwhelming’ to armed teacher program (Springfield News-Sun)

A free program to train teachers and school administrators on how to use firearms has gotten an overwhelming response…Read more...

Attorneys For Teen Charged In Chardon School Shooting Want Trial Moved (WBNS)

Attorneys for an Ohio teenager charged in the school shooting deaths of three students are renewing their effort to move the trial out of the grief-stricken community…Read more...

We will have to wait to see the actual details, but if this report from NPR StateImpact is any guide, the Governor's proposed school funding formula is going to look a lot more like a public school defunding effort.

A new school-funding model being developed by Governor John Kasich’s administration could allow local property tax dollars to follow students to charter schools or be used to fund vouchers for private-school tuition. Right now, only state tax money can do that.
[...]
other key changes under serious consideration:

Changing how the state calculates the amount of money local school districts must raise. Currently, this calculation is based on property values. The new funding model could take into account student poverty levels, local income levels and other factors;
Creating financial incentives for school districts to shift some instruction online; and
Simplifying the way that school districts collect taxes to make it more understandable to taxpayers.

Other possible changes include providing increased funding to districts with high-performing schools and structuring funding to encourage regional collaboration in areas like transportation, Mattei Smith said. While a separate study of school district consolidation is underway, consolidation is not part of discussions on a new school funding model, Mattei Smith said.

The Board of Education has expressed a strong desire for significant public input, which is to be applauded, because these proposals, albeit with limited detail, appear quite radical.

Education News for 01-03-2013

Are radical school funding changes ahead?