According to the Associated Press, a coalition of education groups are unveiling a proposed constitutional amendment today to reform Ohio's school funding system:
The proposal would declare high-quality public education a fundamental right and would strip the right to determine how much money goes to schools from the Legislature, putting it in the hands of a nine-member Education Accountability Commission that would report to the State Board of Education.
It appears the idea is stumbling right out of the gate. The Plain Dealer calls it a "doomed ballot issue," "a plan without a price tag" and a "self-defeating stunt."
State Sen. Jeff Jacobson says the "massive funding increase" would require cuts from other parts of the state budget, which the plan doesn't identify, and adds, "This proposal is a dagger aimed at the heart of the poor, elderly and most needy of Ohioans." Even Democrats, such as Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman, are jumping ship: "We can't really have a situation that could be perceived as a blank check."
Comments