Under the current budget proposal, schools are facing what state officials are calling a 'modest reduction' in funding for fiscal years 2026 and '27.
CLEVELAND — As budget negotiations continue in the Ohio General Assembly, local public school superintendents are voicing concerns about how state funding changes could impact their districts.
State reductions in 'guarantee' provisions
Under the current budget proposal, schools are facing what state officials are calling a "modest reduction" in funding for fiscal years 2026 and '27. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced Tuesday it is projected to lose a combined $10.7 million in the next two years.
The superintendents from Bedford, Shaker Heights, Richmond Heights, and Warrensville Heights Schools — four districts in the inner-ring suburbs of Cleveland — exclusively spoke to 3News about their concerns over the future of public school funding and its potential consequences.
According to state projections, only Richmond Heights and Shaker Heights will see reductions in state funding over the next two fiscal years. Richmond Heights will face a decrease in the first year, but a gain in the second, while Shaker Heights is expected to see losses both years.
"We need the funds to continue to sustain the excellent services that we provide for students and families, and that's why we think it's really important that the governor and the legislature account for inflation and fully fund the fair school formula," said Dr. David Glasner, superintendent of the Shaker Heights City School District.
Although superintendents acknowledge that districts statewide supported the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Formula implemented in 2022, they argue that said formula fails to account for inflation. Without adjustments, they say, schools cannot keep up with the rising costs of education, which they fear will ultimately impact students.
"Underfunded businesses don't produce quality products," said Donald Jolly II, superintendent of the Warrensville Heights City School District. "If your assembly line is not functioning at full capacity, you're not going to be able to produce the products. It's the same with schools. If you don't have enough teachers, don't have enough bus drivers, you're not able to provide the programming that exists, you're not going to get a quality product."
Glasner echoed those sentiments.
"I really think that we are preparing the leaders of tomorrow," he stated. "I think we have lots of evidence to prove that, and we need to continue investing in our students to keep doing so."
Superintendents warn that without full funding, districts may be forced to increase class sizes and cut busing, staff, class offerings, and extracurricular activities. State officials, however, argue that despite a 5.5% decline in public school enrollment since 2020, funding for traditional public-school districts has increased.
According to the state, funding is projected to grow by $1.2 billion from fiscal years 2021-27. Ohio's Office of Budget Management says "guarantee" provisions have provided ongoing state funding, which allowed schools and districts to avoid right-sizing their operations.
Why public schools are increasing dependence on taxpayers
The Cupp-Patterson Fair School Funding Plan is a complex formula that funds students where they are educated, not where they live. The formula considers student enrollment and a district's capacity to raise funds locally through property taxes and voter-approved levies.
"The previously adopted Cupp-Patterson funding formula is designed to reduce state share when local share increases due to increased property tax revenue," Dan Tierney, press secretary for Gov. Mike DeWine, wrote in an email to 3News. "Due to the increase in property values across Ohio, Cupp-Patterson is designed to reduce state payments in such a scenario, even when the formula is fully funded, as it is in the Governor's proposal."
For clarification, Ohio law limits how much schools can collect when property values increase during a levy period, except for specific provisions known as inside millage, which allow districts to collect additional funds when property taxes rise.
Public school districts are funded through a combination of state and federal funds, local property taxes, and in some cases school district income taxes. As districts face a potential loss of state funding, school leaders warn the additional tax burden will shift to the local taxpayer.
"If we lose state funding, we're going to need to go to the ballot sooner, more frequently, and for more money," Glasner explained.
"If we continue to look at the impacts of funding being ripped away from us, the taxpayer is really the only person we can go to," added Dr. Marnisha Brown, the superintendent of Richmond Heights Local Schools.
Richmond Heights voters rejected an income tax and bond issue last November.
"It wasn't that they (the community) didn't support the schools, but they could not afford it," Brown said.
Richmond Heights wasn’t the only public school district to see voters reject their ballot initiatives at the polls. According to the Ohio School Boards Association, only 51% of Ohio school tax issues passed last November, down from 70% the previous year.
The superintendents caution that continued taxpayer rejections could not only weaken public school districts, but also have long-term consequences for the entire state.
"It's going to continue to hurt our ability to support the next generation of residents, citizens, leaders, workforce members in the state of Ohio." Glasner said.
The impact of the expansion of Ohio's EdChoice voucher program
Perhaps one of the biggest areas of contention in the budget is the expansion of Ohio's EdChoice program that provides public funds for students to attend non-public schools.
Starting in FY 2024, the state significantly raised the family income eligibility cap, dramatically increasing participation in the voucher program. In FY 2024, the state spent about $405 million on EdChoice expansion to fund scholarships for over 86,800 students. The amount is an increase from the $124.4 million the state spent the previous year for 22,600 students.
The increasing flow of public funds to private schools prompted public schools to sue the state.
"What we found through this lawsuit is that recently, at least 70% of the families that were taking vouchers were already paying for that private education, but once it was expanded, they began to take the money that the state offered. That money comes from the same line item that funds public schools," Brown argued. "It is truly undermining the public atmosphere of what we do, how we educate our students, and the funds that we're able to use to do that."
Brown says Richmond Heights Local Schools is the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit. The superintendents argue that sending public funds to private schools is not fair or equitable because state-funded private schools do not face the same level of state and federal regulation as public schools.
All four districts are part of the "Vouchers Hurt Ohio" lawsuit, which is expected to go to trial this year.
What's next
The state budget will be approved by the end of June. Dr. Cassandra Johnson, the superintendent of the Bedford City School District, says they plan to continue advocating for children while helping the community understand school funding and the impact of not funding public schools.
"Whether that be … going to Columbus, we've been working with our representatives and just continuing to try to communicate the importance of public education in every realm," Johnson said. "At the end of the day, we're not going to give up on our children."