Monday, June 8, 2015

Trouble with the Senate budget proposal? It sure looks that way.

Please check out the Senate's proposed education funding here...

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2015/06/how_each_ohio_school_district.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Then write your Senator to voice your concern, here...

http://www.ohiosenate.gov/members/senate-directory

This is the note I sent to my Senator, Gayle Manning.

Senator Manning, 

According to the Senate's proposed budget, funding for the Elyria Schools is set to increase by $1.5 million over the next two years. Under the Governor's proposed budget Elyria was set to gain $3.7 million. Neither of the budget proposals factored in the consistent $6+ million Elyria loses to unregulated charter schools annually, nor the proposed increases in payments to charters. 

While the Senate leadership has indicated that no Ohio school districts will be losing funding, I believe that this is a bit disingenuous without being forthcoming about charters. Can you provide any clarification of these issues? 

Our district has been forced to close buildings as well as eliminate programs, teachers and support staff under Governor Kasich's tenure. My son had no meaningful access to a library at his school the last two years because of cuts, while the state instituted new assessments, in part over concerns about reading scores. We built a brand new high school here with state assistance and then had to eliminate a media program in a state of the art building. These are but two examples. We have cut, and cut, and cut again. Please protect our successful public schools. 

Thank you, in advance, for a response. 
Matt Jablonski 
History Teacher 
Elyria High School

No comments:

Post a Comment