Ballot issue on school-funding a bad idea

Gov. Ted Strickland and all four leaders of the Ohio General Assembly agreed on one topic today: A statewide ballot issue to overhaul the state's system of public school funding is the wrong approach to fixing inequities.

Speaking to government reporters and editors at an annual Associated Press conference, Strickland echoed earlier comments by bipartisan leaders of the Ohio House and Senate that he prefers dealing with inequities in school funding in the state budget and legislatively. "I think the approach is flawed and that's why I have not embraced it," Strickland said of a ballot issue.

Strickland is due to introduce his first two-year budget to the General Assembly on Thursday.

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland; House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering; Senate Minority Leader Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo; and House Minority Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, all agreed that placing the issue before Ohio voters in November is the wrong approach.

Harris and Husted were particularly adamant, insisting Ohio has come a long way in recent years in financing public schools while improving test scores and graduation rates.

Strickland said his first budget will offer some guidance, but that given limited resources and his pledge not to increase taxes, a complete overhaul will come only through longer-term solutions.

"I don't know that there is a single action that is going to solve the problem," Strickland said.

Without elaborating, Strickland hinted his budget will eliminate some tax breaks. His staff has found "lots of ways to save small amounts of money," the governor said. "We have found significant savings."