Gov.

Thursday, July 06, 2000

Gov. Bob Taft is asking leaders from around the state for their ideas about fixing the state school funding formula – a topic that has been at the top of the state’s agenda for more than a few years.

This recent round of hand-wringing comes on the heels of the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision that the state has not done nearly enough to fix the problem.

More than 600 schools around Ohio have joined together, in case you have forgotten, to challenge the method by which schools are funded in Ohio. The coalition says that the reliance on property taxes to fund schools makes an inequitable playing field – causing some schools to exist with subpar facilities, while others are able to enhance their programs and buildings.

While this will probably be just another example of more talk and little action, at least the state is taking some steps to resolving this nearly 10-year fight.

Hopefully, Gov. Taft’s meetings this week – and subsequent gatherings to discuss the issue – will result in a meaningful exchange and some concrete steps forward.

In the meantime, perhaps another visit to some of Ohio’s southern most schools to see the conditions firsthand might not be such a bad idea.

There is no real way to understand just what some of Ohio’s schoolchildren face every day unless you see it for yourself.

And that could be just the push these legislators and state leaders need to finally get the job done.