After Failed School Levies, Reps. Brewer, Brennan Urge State to Fully Fund Public Education

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Darnell T. Brewer (D-Cleveland) and Sean Patrick Brennan (D-Parma) today called on their House and Senate colleagues to fulfill Ohio’s constitutional mandate and fully fund public schools. The failure of school levies in Garfield Heights and Parma demonstrate the need for the fair school funding formula. By scrapping this funding plan, the Ohio House has pitted homeowners against school children, forcing voters to choose between public education and property taxes. 

“The failure of the Garfield Heights renewal levy will leave the district with a $5.35M shortfall. If the fair school funding plan was fully implemented, our school districts would not be forced to go to the ballot as frequently and our children would have the resources needed for a quality education. I urge my colleagues to do what is right and prioritize the wellbeing of Ohio’s education system. If we continue to disinvest from our youth’s future, Ohio will fall behind,” said Rep. Brewer.

“The state's contribution to public school funding is lower today than it was over thirty years ago, when the current funding system was ruled unconstitutional. Because the state has reduced its share of school funding while piling on more partially or unfunded mandates, districts are forced to return to the ballot again and again just to keep up. Sadly, residents have the impression that their local schools are not good stewards of taxpayer dollars, when in reality, it is the state that has caused this mess. I applaud the Parma City Schools for stretching their funding for so long. I will continue to fight for fair school funding from my statehouse seat,” said Rep. Brennan.

Underfunding public schools increases the reliance on property owners to foot the bill. The House budget that passed on April 9th does away with the bipartisan, constitutional fair school funding formula, failing the 90% of Ohio’s children that attend public schools. The House budget also adds a cap to school district cash reserves, limiting public school districts from carrying over more than 30% of reserve funds from the previous fiscal year in their operating budget. This will force local districts to rely more heavily on local levies more often at a time when Ohio is the most levied state in the nation.

Reps. Brennan and Brewer will continue to advocate for fully funded public schools and state investments into children, educators, and school districts.