ThisWeek Community Newspapers Dublin Villager
Page A2
May 19, 2011
District to parents: Get involved in budget talks Continued from page A1 $14.5 million over the course of the twoyear state budget, but amendments approved in the House of Representatives have reduced that figure to $13.7 million. According to Osborne, the district will lose $6.1 million next year and $7.6 million in 2013. Those reductions include a loss in foundation funding, which accounts for 9 percent of the district’s revenue. According to Osborne, the district received $13 million in foundation fund-
ing this year and anticipated $11.8 million next year. Osborne said the district had anticipated a 10-percent cut in foundation funding but instead received an 18-percent cut. “To see over 400 school districts in the state see an increase in state funding while we get an 18-percent decrease is just wrong to me,” he said. Some districts are seeing an increase in foundation funding in the state budget. The approach, dubbed by some leg-
islators as a “Robin Hood budget,” decreases state foundation funding to higher-wealth districts and gives it to lowperforming, low-wealth districts. “We were bracing for what was coming. We knew it was a $6-, $7-, $8 billion funding gap,” Axner said. “When we looked at about 400 districts, they’re getting more money. … Maybe our hit has to be a little bigger, but why are some districts getting more?” With 90 percent of the district’s expenditures spent on staff, Axner said,
class sizes will increase and services will be reduced with the state cuts. “Across the board, we’ll be very challenged to keep all those on track,” he said. According to Osborne, the district would need a levy of more than 4 mills to make up for the loss in state funding. The district does not plan to ask voters to make up for the loss with a levy issue, though. Axner said the district would not begin collecting for a new levy until 2013, but discussion on whether to ask voters for
a new operating levy in 2011 or 2012 currently is in the works. Regardless, Axner said, Dublin City Schools “will continue to be one of the best districts in Ohio” and will continue to “work as hard as we can.” Axner asked community members in attendance to contact local legislators to let them know their opinions of the budget. “Let’s lock arms in Dublin and get this done,” he said, “and get some of this funding back for our district.”
Legislators weigh in on budget, effect on schools COUNCIL INPUT not going to raise taxes.” Jordan acknowledged that the budget takes a “Robin Hood” approach to school funding and said it should be stopped. “We’ve got to stop at the state level awarding failure,” he said. “We’ve got to stop punishing people who do the right thing. … It’s irresponsible to reward failures. We’re going to continue working on that.” State Sen. Karen Gillmor (RTiffin) said a meeting with the principal and a few teachers at Jerome High School showed her that educators are frustrated and worried that a cut in funding could undo hard work and high performance among students. “We pay for 89 percent of the funding for 14,000 students (at Dublin City Schools),” she said. “If we pay 100 percent, we might as well call it Dublin Academy and make it a private school.” The budget has passed through the Ohio House and is in the Senate. Gillmor said she wants to find ways to get Dublin more funding. People in the school district have saved and sacrificed to live there, she said, and teachers have worked hard. State Sen. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) said he wants to work to increase funding for high-performing schools Jim Hughes like Dublin. “I have met with (Superintendent) David Axner and (treasurer) Stephen Osborne more than five times on this issue,” he said. “We’re looking at trying to find
funds to help you out of this. … It is important to reward those that succeed.” Hughes also mentioned federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act money the Dublin school district has not yet claimed. According to Osborne, the district received a little more than $700,000 from President Barack Obama’s Education Jobs Fund, and it may be used this year or next. “We’re waiting to spend that until next year,” he told ThisWeek. The district will use the money to help cover some of the loss in state funds, he said. After the Senate committees are finished with the budget, it will be sent to the Senate for a vote and then back to the House for concurrence. If the House of Representatives does not concur, it will go to a joint Senate and House committee before it is passed to the governor. The state budget must be approved by June 30. The state’s new fiscal year begins July 1.
of office space on the southern building could be eliminated. Council member Cathy Boring said she was “not enamored” with the proposed architecture, and Mayor Tim Lecklider agreed. “In my view, I would have the architecture complement the river more than BriHi Square,” he said. Some feedback was positive. “I love the project,” Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher said. “It’s exactly what I would have anticipated years ago when these homes were bought up.” “I think it will be a pretty neat project,” council member John Reiner said, adding that his primary concerns were over parking and the development’s height. With preliminary comments from the ARB, P&Z and council, the next step for the development will be to submit a rezoning and preliminary plan. jnoblit@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekNews.com
Continued from page A1 host only residential space. Council members’ concerns were similar to those of other boards. With only one- and two-story buildings around the historic district, council members expressed concern about the scale of the proposed mixed-use development. “The view is kind of disturbing,” Michael Keenan said of a scale drawing. “I have concern with height, parking and the scale of the buildings,” vice mayor Amy Salay said. Council member Richard Gerber said he was concerned about parking. The development is planning 74 public spaces and 52 private spaces, but the city requires 358. Gerry Bird, developer representative, said angled parking could add up to 140 spaces along Blacksmith Lane and the top floor
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school board president Lynn May reminded the large crowd of parents, educators and community members in attendance that the $13.7 million cut expected over the next two years wouldn’t come from local school levies but instead from state funds. “The state expects us to make up for the money with local funding,” she said. State Rep. Mike Duffey (R-Worthington) spoke first, saying the state is in a difficult position as it tries to fill Mike Duffey an $8 billion hole in the budget. “If cuts were made in the past, we wouldn’t be in this position now,” the freshman representative said. “The only other option is a statewide tax increase. … It’s in your best interest not to have a statewide tax increase. It’s easier for you to raise taxes here. Money taken by the state will not come back.” According to Duffey, the Dublin school district is in the fifth-best position in Franklin County to address the state funding cuts because it could cover the lost revenue more easily via a levy. “There is no good solution,” he said, reminding the crowd that Dublin is in a better position than many other districts in the state. Freshman state Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) was stuck in an education committee meeting and sent legislative aide Josh Brown in his stead. Brown said Brenner is against
raising taxes but was “not happy” with the budget. “He did not think good schools should have to take this,” Brown said. Citing Senate Bill 5, which limits union bargaining as a tool to help the district save money, Brown said Brenner would work to “reverse the Robin Hood budget.” Rep. John Patrick Carney (D-Clintonville) received applause for his “no” vote on the budget and his idea of putJohn Patrick ting excess Carney money the state receives into education. “We’re getting more tax revenue than we thought,” he said. “I suggest that all those dollars should be given back to local schools.” With a shortfall in the state budget, Carney said, he understands difficult decisions must be made, but funding should go to K-12 education, which he considers economic development. “We’re selling off a lot of assets of the state,” Carney said, citing Gov. John Kasich’s plan to sell five prisons and the state liquor agency. “If we’re going to sell that off, shouldn’t we give the money to what we know works?” For freshman state Sen. Kris Jordan (R-Powell), the proposed budget is challenging. “This year Kris Jordan may be painful for some,” he said. “It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but we need an adult budget. We’re
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