H. B. No. 42 As Introduced

As Introduced

127th General Assembly

Regular Session

2007-2008

H. B. No. 42

Representative Stewart, J.

Cosponsors: Representatives Combs, Carano, Collier, McGregor, R., Dodd, Fende, Hite

A BILL

To enact sections 3302.033 and 3317.60 of the Revised 1
Code to establish a bipartisan committee to 2
recommend to the General Assembly a system that 3
provides state funds to pay one hundred per cent 4
of the actual cost of providing a thorough and 5
efficient education to each public school student 6
and to require the Department of Education to 7
report certain school funding information to the 8
parents and taxpayers of each school district. 9

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That sections 3302.033 and 3317.60 of the Revised 10
Code be enacted to read as follows: 11

       Sec. 3302.033. As a component of the funding and expenditure 12
accountability report required under division (A) of section 13
3302.031 of the Revised Code, the department of education shall 14
include the following information about the state's performance on 15
public education funding: 16

       (A) The current and five-year projected cost of a thorough 17
and efficient education for every student and the added cost of 18
providing services for special education, career-technical 19
education, gifted students, and economically disadvantaged 20
students as determined by the committee established under section 21
3317.60 of the Revised Code; 22

       (B) By district and building, expenditures for operation and 23
facilities construction and maintenance; 24

       (C) The amount of operations funding disparity among school 25
districts in the state using all of the following methods of 26
measurement: 27

       (1) Ratio of revenue of the highest-funded district to the 28
revenue of the lowest-funded district; 29

       (2) Federal range ratio; 30

       (3) Gini coefficient; 31

       (4) McLoone index. 32

       At the time the information prescribed under this section is 33
published, the department also shall report the items described in 34
divisions (B) and (C) of this section to the committee established 35
under section 3317.60 of the Revised Code. 36

       Sec. 3317.60. (A) Within sixty days after the effective date 37
of this section, the president of the senate and the speaker of 38
the house of representatives shall appoint a joint bipartisan 39
committee to study and determine the current and five-year 40
projected cost of providing a thorough and efficient education to 41
each public school student and to recommend legislative changes 42
necessary to establish a system to provide state funding to each 43
public school in the state in an amount equal to one hundred per 44
cent of the actual cost as determined by the committee. The 45
committee shall make its recommendations to the general assembly 46
not later than eighteen months after the effective date of this 47
section. 48

       (B) The school funding system recommended by the committee 49
shall provide for all of the following: 50

       (1) State funding for one hundred per cent of the actual base 51
cost of a thorough and efficient education for each student in a 52
public school and one hundred per cent of the actual cost of all 53
special education, career-technical education, gifted education, 54
poverty-based assistance, and transportation costs attributable on 55
a per pupil basis; 56

       (2) Calculation of actual costs without the use of an 57
inferential method; 58

       (3) Recalculation of actual costs once every two years; 59

       (4) Authority for a school district to levy additional taxes 60
with the approval of the district's electors for funding of 61
operating costs of providing services not paid for with state 62
funds. The system shall specify the services for which state 63
funding will and will not be provided. 64

       (5) Guarantee to each school district that for the first ten 65
years following the enactment of the new system the district will 66
not receive in state funding an amount less than the district 67
received under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code, as it existed 68
June 30, 2010. After the end of the ten-year period, the guarantee 69
shall be phased out in annual increments of three percentage 70
points on a district-by-district basis until the amount of state 71
funding received by a district equals the amount calculated for 72
the district under the system described in division (B)(1) of this 73
section. The goal of the system shall be that by the end of the 74
ten-year period, the disparity between the highest-funded school 75
district and the lowest-funded school district in base-cost per 76
pupil funding is not more than twenty percentage points. 77

       (6) Uniform statewide accounting and auditing procedures for 78
all school districts. 79

       Section 2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in 80
section 3302.033 of the Revised Code, until the committee 81
established under section 3317.60 of the Revised Code has 82
determined the actual cost of a thorough and efficient education 83
for primary and secondary students, the Department of Education is 84
not required to include in the report prescribed under section 85
3302.033 of the Revised Code the information described in division 86
(A) of that section. The Department shall include in that report 87
all other information described in that section. 88

Section 1. That sections 3302.033 and 3317.60 of the Revised	10
Code be enacted to read as follows:	11

Sec. 3302.033. As a component of the funding and expenditure	12
accountability report required under division (A) of section	13
3302.031 of the Revised Code, the department of education shall	14
include the following information about the state's performance on	15
public education funding:	16

(A) The current and five-year projected cost of a thorough	17
and efficient education for every student and the added cost of	18
providing services for special education, career-technical	19
education, gifted students, and economically disadvantaged	20
students as determined by the committee established under section	21
3317.60 of the Revised Code;	22

(B) By district and building, expenditures for operation and	23
facilities construction and maintenance;	24

(C) The amount of operations funding disparity among school	25
districts in the state using all of the following methods of	26
measurement:	27

(1) Ratio of revenue of the highest-funded district to the	28
revenue of the lowest-funded district;	29

At the time the information prescribed under this section is	33
published, the department also shall report the items described in	34
divisions (B) and (C) of this section to the committee established	35
under section 3317.60 of the Revised Code.	36

Sec. 3317.60. (A) Within sixty days after the effective date	37
of this section, the president of the senate and the speaker of	38
the house of representatives shall appoint a joint bipartisan	39
committee to study and determine the current and five-year	40
projected cost of providing a thorough and efficient education to	41
each public school student and to recommend legislative changes	42
necessary to establish a system to provide state funding to each	43
public school in the state in an amount equal to one hundred per	44
cent of the actual cost as determined by the committee. The	45
committee shall make its recommendations to the general assembly	46
not later than eighteen months after the effective date of this	47
section.	48

(B) The school funding system recommended by the committee	49
shall provide for all of the following:	50

(1) State funding for one hundred per cent of the actual base	51
cost of a thorough and efficient education for each student in a	52
public school and one hundred per cent of the actual cost of all	53
special education, career-technical education, gifted education,	54
poverty-based assistance, and transportation costs attributable on	55
a per pupil basis;	56

(2) Calculation of actual costs without the use of an	57
inferential method;	58

(4) Authority for a school district to levy additional taxes	60
with the approval of the district's electors for funding of	61
operating costs of providing services not paid for with state	62
funds. The system shall specify the services for which state	63
funding will and will not be provided.	64

(5) Guarantee to each school district that for the first ten	65
years following the enactment of the new system the district will	66
not receive in state funding an amount less than the district	67
received under Chapter 3317. of the Revised Code, as it existed	68
June 30, 2010. After the end of the ten-year period, the guarantee	69
shall be phased out in annual increments of three percentage	70
points on a district-by-district basis until the amount of state	71
funding received by a district equals the amount calculated for	72
the district under the system described in division (B)(1) of this	73
section. The goal of the system shall be that by the end of the	74
ten-year period, the disparity between the highest-funded school	75
district and the lowest-funded school district in base-cost per	76
pupil funding is not more than twenty percentage points.	77

(6) Uniform statewide accounting and auditing procedures for	78
all school districts.	79

Section 2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in	80
section 3302.033 of the Revised Code, until the committee	81
established under section 3317.60 of the Revised Code has	82
determined the actual cost of a thorough and efficient education	83
for primary and secondary students, the Department of Education is	84
not required to include in the report prescribed under section	85
3302.033 of the Revised Code the information described in division	86
(A) of that section. The Department shall include in that report	87
all other information described in that section.	88