At noon today, the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) Workgroup will hold a press conference to discuss the two school funding formulas proposed by the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. The House-passed version of the biennial budget (House Bill 110) includes the Fair School Funding Plan, which is the school funding plan first introduced as House Bill (H.B.) 305 in the 133rd General Assembly and reintroduced as H.B. 1 in the 134th General Assembly. However, the Senate Finance Committee removed the Fair School Funding Plan from its substitute bill introduced last week and replaced it with its own funding formula.
The Fair School Funding Plan is the result of a bipartisan effort developed in collaboration with the FSFP Workgroup and input from all stakeholders over a three-year period. During the press conference, the FSFP Workgroup will be joined by former Representative John Patterson, who first introduced the plan as H.B. 305 with then Representative Bob Cupp.
We will share a copy of the press release and a recording of the press conference when available.
Next Steps
Following the press conference, the Senate Finance Committee will meet at 2:15 p.m. and will likely introduce and accept an omnibus amendment to the substitute bill it introduced last week. A full vote of the Senate is expected on Thursday, June 10. We know it is a busy time of year, but please take a few minutes to do the following:
- Speak with Senators and House Representatives. Please schedule a meeting with your Senator and House Representative as soon as possible. It is important that they hear from all of the school districts in their region. The Senate District Leadership Teams are also working to schedule follow-up meetings with Senators. We have developed talking points and essential questions for our members to use when communicating with your legislators; these same talking points can be used for reference during your Senate District Meeting. Click here for those talking points. Senate contact information can be found here. House contact information can be found here.
- Send Letter to Speaker Cupp. Send a letter to Speaker Cupp thanking him for his unwavering commitment and years of dedication to craft a fair, equitable and adequate approach to school funding for Ohio’s children. Speaker Cupp needs to know he is supported by our members as he fights for the Fair School Funding Formula in the conference committee. Click here for a template letter.
Important Resources
Legislator Contact Lookup Resources: