Funding Ohio’s Future - How Ohio Funds K-12 Education & How We Can Do Better

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

Executive summary of a policy analysis on how Ohio funds K-12 education and why the current system undermines equitable outcomes. It highlights Ohio’s low ranking in equitable distribution of funding and connects long-term underinvestment to racial and economic achievement gaps, as well as needs of students with disabilities. It evaluates Gov. DeWine’s April 2023 budget proposal, outlines concerns about shrinking investments, outdated cost estimates, and education-related program funding, and concludes with calls to fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan now.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Key Findings

Funding Recommendations

Notes and Sources

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY April 2023 K-12 education Funding Ohio’s future How Ohio funds K-12 education & how we can do better Tanisha Pruitt, PhD | Annie Volker Ohio educates 1.6 million children attending school in our big cities, suburbs, and small towns. For years, our school funding system pitted communities against each other and private and charter schools against public schools. Based on nationwide Education Week performance rankings, our state currently ranks 46th in equitable distribution of funding. We can draw a straight line between the racial and economic achievement gaps and decades of the state’s failure to provide Black, brown, economically disadvantaged students1 and students with disabilities what they need to succeed in school. Long before COVID, many policymakers neglected public schools, siphoning away their funding for tax giveaways2 to corporations and undercutting them with schemes that send public money to charters and private schools. Combined with the effects of COVID, Ohio’s legacy of inadequate and inequitable funding has weakened the role school plays as a foundational public service for families and communities. Key Findings 1. The budget proposed by Gov. DeWine would shrink the total biennial investment in K-12 education from $30.54 billion to $28.69 billion, a $1.85 billion (16%) reduction. 2. When adjusted for inflation, foundation funding in Gov. DeWine’s proposal would remain nearly 3% below spending in the FY 2020-21 biennium. 3. Gov. DeWine proposes continuing to phase in the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) over the next two years, though he has not allocated any additional funds to do so. The governor’s budget uses outdated cost estimates from 2018 to calculate funding without accounting for inflation. 4. Ohio is experiencing a school transportation crisis resulting from a shortage of buses and qualified drivers.3 In the next budget school transportation funding is expected to increase by 8. 7% in FY 24 and an additional 7.4% in FY 25. 1 “Economically Disadvantaged” refers to students who are either eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or live in households where another household member is eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Some of the increase in this class of students is due to changes in school meal programs to ensure more kids have access to food. 2 Schiller, Zach and Wendy Patton, “Senate tax cuts would go mostly to the affluent,” Policy Matters Ohio, June 3, 2021, [https://bit.ly/3q0vxn6](https://bit.ly/3q0vxn6) 3 “Parents frustrated over bussing delays and no shows, more districts could face penalties,” March 4, 2022, [https://bit.ly/403Zcfw](https://bit.ly/403Zcfw) POLICYMATTERSOHIO.ORG 5. The proposed budget for FY 2024-25 includes $15 million for school-based healthcare.4 School-based health centers help more children in underserved communities get the health services they need. 6. The governor would spend $388 million to place School Resource Officers (SROs) in every school.5 Considering how little data is available to assess SROs’ efficacy and impact on safety, the program’s high price tag is cause for concern. 7. The Governor’s Literacy Challenge would distribute funding for literacy improvement ahead of the legislature’s budget recommendations.6 This includes getting more parents and families involved in literacy development, improving literacy among inmates, a one-time $64 million investment in instructional materials, $18 million for literacy coaches in districts with low test scores, and $48 million for teachers to attend professional trainings on the science of reading.7 8. Gov. DeWine’s proposed budget also includes increased funding to make teacher certification and licensing more affordable, increasing from $12.2 billion in FY 2022 toa proposed $14.7 billion in FY 2025. There will also be a modest increase for improving teacher quality with a proposed $77 million allocated in both FY 2024 and FY 2025, up from $70 mil

FAQs

What problem does the report identify with Ohio’s K-12 funding system?

The report says Ohio’s funding system has historically pitted communities against each other and has produced inequitable distribution of resources. It links these issues to achievement gaps and unmet needs for Black, brown, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities.

What does the report say about the proposed budget’s impact on K-12 investment?

It states Gov. DeWine’s proposal would reduce total biennial investment in K-12 education by $1.85 billion (16%), and that inflation-adjusted foundation funding would remain nearly 3% below the FY 2020-21 biennium level.

What are the report’s main recommendations regarding the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP)?

The report urges lawmakers to fully implement the FSFP using accurate cost estimates, rather than phasing it in piece by piece. It concludes that Ohio has sufficient revenue to fully fund the FSFP in the next budget and beyond.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah