Ohio Public Schools Face Uncertainty Over Proposed Budget Cuts

Perrysburg, Ohio — As Ohio lawmakers work through the state budgeting process, public school officials across the state are closely monitoring the situation, concerned about potential cuts to K-12 education funding. For some districts, this could mean going to local taxpayers for more money or making painful budget cuts.

Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed budget includes the completion of the phase-in of the school funding formula adopted in 2021. While this plan outlines increases in funding for voucher programs and charter schools—roughly half a billion dollars—many local school leaders are worried that the proposed budget fails to address crucial funding issues for traditional public schools.

Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Tom Hosler has voiced concerns over the governor’s budget, stating that it does not update critical data used to calculate the average cost of educating students. Instead, it relies on current data for property values and local incomes, which could make some districts appear wealthier on paper, Hosler explained. In turn, this would result in less state aid for those districts.

“If the state is not willing to update those inputs, and locally those inputs are being updated, then that falls on the taxpayers of our communities,” Hosler said. “It’s not a fair formula if the data doesn’t match up.”

Hosler, who previously served on the Fair School Funding Workgroup—a statewide panel that helped develop the school funding formula—has been vocal about the need for updates to the inputs used to determine funding. According to his analysis, Perrysburg and several other local districts could see significant reductions in state funding, with Perrysburg potentially facing a 6.3% decrease in the 2025-2026 budget, followed by another 3.8% decline in 2026-2027.

“The state is essentially saying that these school districts like Perrysburg are becoming wealthier on paper, so you have the ability to go to your local taxpayers,” Hosler added. “Anyone who’s been paying attention knows that going to local taxpayers and asking for more funds is not a very easy proposition.”

In fact, voters in Perrysburg rejected a proposed operating levy last November that would have funded 17% of the district’s operating budget. Now, district officials are facing a projected $13.5 million shortfall and are looking for ways to make up the gap.

As the Ohio House of Representatives begins working on the state budget, with the Senate set to follow, district leaders are already advocating for additional public school funding. A final budget must be approved by the end of June.

Hosler stressed that the issue at hand is not just about Perrysburg or a few local districts. “Schools play an integral part in Northwest Ohio’s success,” he said. “It’s really an investment. This is a bigger question than just Perrysburg or Sylvania or Springfield. This is about the future of the economic drive here in northwest Ohio. We need to fund the formula. We need to update the inputs. We need to continue to invest in our future here in northwest Ohio and across all of Ohio.”

With significant challenges ahead, school districts across Ohio will continue to push for a fairer, more equitable funding system that ensures all students have access to the resources they need to succeed.