Left-Leaning Think Tank: Proposed Budget Hurts Public Schools

A left leaning think tank says the proposed two year state budget would help private and charter schools, but would hurt public schools. Innovation Ohio’s Dale Butland says public schools are the big losers in the Republican backed budget plan that’s on the table right now. "Most of them will get less money than they did in the 2010-11 budget, and about 25 percent of our schools will get less than they did in the 2012-13 budget," Butland says. Butland says the budget would give more money to private charter and voucher schools. And he says the new formula for property taxes would make it harder for public schools to pass levies since the state won’t be reimbursing districts. Republican Senator Keith Faber says this plan is fair to local schools and taxpayers. "I would think that this budget increases K-12 funding by 11 percent," Faber says. "And I would think a lot of local taxpayers and property taxpayers would think that levies should not be easier to pass and from that perspective, we simply want you to operate from within your current means." Lawmakers expect to vote on the new budget by the end of this week.