Ohio House Speaker Plans to Slash Public School Budget, Calls Funding a ‘Fantasy’
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman aims to cut $650 million from public schools, criticizing current funding as unrealistic and unsustainable.
Ohio, Matt Huffman, Public Schools, Funding Cuts, Education
You know, Ohio’s school funding has been a hot mess for years. Back in ’97, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the way schools were funded was unconstitutional. They were relying too much on property taxes, which just isn’t fair.
Since then, lawmakers have been trying to fix things, but it’s been a real back-and-forth. Some folks think the system is still unconstitutional, while others argue that since they’ve changed the policy, it’s all good now.
There’s been a bipartisan push to get it right, though. A bill called House Bill 1 was introduced a couple of years ago, aiming to add $333 million a year for K-12 education. It was a big deal and finally got passed.
The plan was to roll it out over six years, helping schools rely less on property taxes. The first two years were partially funded, and the next two were fully funded. Now, we’re down to the last two years, and it’s looking shaky.
In January, Huffman made some comments that really ticked people off. He said he doesn’t think there’s a future for the funding plan and that the spending increases just aren’t sustainable.
A bunch of GOP legislators have promised to protect K-12 education, but it’s unclear how that’ll play out. Even Governor Mike DeWine isn’t fully on board with the current funding formula, saying tough choices are ahead.
In Warrensville Heights, the local schools serve about 2,000 students, many of whom have special needs. The superintendent, Donald Jolly, is worried that Huffman’s cuts will hurt programs that help these kids succeed.
Huffman’s plan to slash funding is raising alarms. He’s been vocal about wanting to cut at least $650 million from public education. When asked about the backlash, he doubled down, saying the current funding plan is unrealistic.
He argues that with federal COVID funds drying up, public education is on the chopping block. Huffman believes that if parents are willing to take a $7,000 voucher for private school instead of spending $15,000 on public school, that’s better for taxpayers.
He’s a big supporter of private school vouchers, which have cost the state around $1 billion. Many GOP leaders think this is necessary to let money “follow the child” and help students escape underperforming public schools.
But here’s the kicker: public schools are held to higher standards than private ones, and the voucher system doesn’t have a great track record for transparency. Superintendents are calling for more accountability on how that public money is spent.
Despite the pushback, Huffman isn’t budging. He insists that the current system is unsustainable and that people need to face the facts. The tension between public schools and voucher programs is palpable, and many are hoping lawmakers will stand up against Huffman’s plan.
It’s a tough situation, and the superintendents are worried about the future of public education in Ohio. They’re hoping for a change before it’s too late.