This is to express my thanks as a lifelong Ohioan, a parent and as an educator to those in the Ohio Legislature and the governor for implementing phase two of the Fair School Funding Plan.

While this is phase two of three in state budget cycles to phase it in, it is a huge step forward in creating a permanent school funding solution that, as the Ohio Fair School Funding workgroup describes, is “objective, justifiable, transparent, amendable and fair to students, schools and taxpayers.”

This plan was developed over several years by those in the field attempting to respond to continued concerns from all stakeholders about a school funding program that had been ruled unconstitutional multiple times and essentially was based on what is best described as residual budgeting; and it was not based on what it cost to educate a student. Prior to adoption of the Fair School Funding Plan, the old funding program was so broken that nearly all schools were off the formula.

The Fair School Funding Plan is based on what it costs to educate a student, including such expenses as technology needs, teacher salaries and benefits, transportation, special education and administrative costs. The work group described the approach of basing it on the cost of educating a student by citing “from the time they are picked up to the time they log off at night and everything in between.”

When initially adopted in the last state budget two years ago, the Fair School Funding Plan was passed by the Ohio House 87-9, with a true bi-partisan approach — with former Ohio Supreme Court Justice, and then Speaker Robert Cupp, a Republican, and former four-term state Rep. (and former teacher), John Patterson, a Democrat. I join educators throughout the state in thanking them, as well as the work group, for their commitment to making this a reality.

One of the facets of the plan that makes it more fair for many districts in the Mahoning Valley is the manner it calculates the percentage of the funding the state will fund, or State Share index. The Fair School Funding Plan includes local income measurements as part of the calculation at a much higher level than previous funding plans in Ohio. Many districts in the Mahoning Valley are what have been described as “property rich, income average” or in some cases “income poor.” By increasing the focus on income levels in the formula that helps many districts and subsequently lessens the burden on property tax payers.

When you look at the preliminary estimates in Trumbull County, school districts overall will see an average of a 13.6 percent increase in state funding. This, of course, varies by district with enrollment being a large factor. Specific to Newton Falls Exempted Village School District, state estimations result in a two-year funding increase from the State of Ohio of a total of $1,136,899, or a 16.26 percent increase in state funding over the next two years. This assumes steady enrollment and maintaining other factors, but a welcomed change that will help stabilize funding for a district that has made several cuts as well as increased non-local taxpayer funding into the district, including generating revenue through leases, filing for available non-formula state dollars and maximizing grant dollars to meet district needs.

No funding plan is perfect, and it is understood and expected that the plan will be continuously reviewed and assessed. Some have advocated for further changes, such as costs to educate College Credit Plus coursework directly from the State of Ohio rather than the local district pay the costs, as well as guaranteeing the minimum funding a school district receives per student be the same as what non-public schools get from the State of Ohio for educating students. There are many schools in Ohio, and some here in the Mahoning Valley, that do not receive the $6,165 for K-8 and $8,407 for 9-12 per pupil the state will be providing for students attending nonpublic schools.

It is hoped by many that the Fair School Funding Plan will complete its three-phase implementation in the next budget cycle, with up-to-date cost inputs, and that the plan itself is continually assessed to make sure it is meeting the needs of students, parents, educators and taxpayers in Ohio.

Thank you again for those that made this historic school funding change happen so funding schools is now actually based on how much it costs to educate a student.

Terry Armstrong, of Warren, is treasurer of Newton Falls Exempted Village School District.