| File Photo: Rep. Randy Gardner |
A bill to scale back the number of unfunded mandates burdening school districts gained support in the
Ohio House Wednesday.
House Bill 30 eliminates mandated all-day kindergarten as well as smaller class sizes, with the intent to
put more spending flexibility in the hands of local school districts.
"It doesn’t say that all-day kindergarten isn’t meaningful, it doesn’t say smaller class sizes isn’t
a positive goal. It basically allows local school leaders to make this decision as opposed to an
unfunded, unfair mandate from Columbus," explained Rep. Randy Gardner, chief sponsor of the bill.
Gardner, R-Bowling Green, explained he never supported the evidence-based model that allowed Columbus to
dictate how schools spend money.
His bill chips away at much of the evidence-based model of educational reforms former Gov. Ted
Strickland, a Democrat, supported.
House representatives passed the bill Wednesday on a party-line vote, 59-36, with Rep. Mark Oakey, from
Carrollton, the only Democrat voting in support.
It next goes to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.
Gov. John Kasich has indicated he would support reducing unfunded mandates but, according to Gardner, has
not voiced specific support for this bill.
Republicans have complained that the unfunded mandates outlined in Strickland’s evidence-based education
model, passed during the last legislative session, posed financial hardships on school districts –
especially now, when districts are facing cuts in state funding estimated as high as 20 percent of their
general operating funds.
Gardner said the evidence-based model is now between $4 billion and $5 billion unbalanced. "It’s
just not a realistic plan."
Despite criticism to the contrary, HB 30 does not reduce any of the funding for kindergarten or any of
the components of the current budget bill. "We did not cut or reduce anything," Gardner
stated. Local school boards can decide whether to implement any of the goals of the new education plan,
including smaller class sizes or all-day kindergarten.
In Wood County, boards of education have requested waivers to delay implementation of all-day
kindergarten classes, indicating it not only would be a financial hardship but many of the districts did
not have the classrooms needed to add the program.
Perrysburg, which has a sliding fee scale for all-day kindergarten, as well as other districts that
charge for the program, will be able to continue to do so in 2011-12 if HB 30 passes.
According to Gardner, the Department of Education conducted a survey that showed mandating all-day
kindergarten would cost school districts statewide $205 million. The cost to reduce class sizes to 15
over the course of several years would be hundreds of millions of dollars more as well, he said.
"We were criticized we were lowing standards by doing this," Gardner said this morning. He
disagrees, pointing out the bill allows school districts more flexibility in making decisions best for
their students.
"We want high expectations for school, but we can’t have mandates at a time when funding is
cut."
In the last biennium budget, Ohio depended on $1.9 million in federal stimulus dollars to shore up
education funding. That money is no longer available, and the state is facing an $8 billion spending
deficit in 2011.
Gardner said he expects about $500 million in state aid cuts when Kasich introduces his budget bill in
mid-March.
The bill also eliminates the requirement that districts set aside 3 percent of their operating fund for
textbook and instructional materials;
strips authority from the state superintendent of schools to financially penalize school districts if
they don’t spend state money the way the evidence-based model requires; and does away with the School
Funding Advisory Council, which was established to recommend modifications to the components of Ohio’s
evidence-based school funding system. Gardner is a member of the council.
