Getting It Right! For Ohio's Future

Goals

Because Ohio's current school funding formula relies heavily on property taxes, it frequently forces local districts to go back to the ballot to keep school programs intact. Getting It Right! For Ohio's Future reduces reliance on property taxes and decreases the need for local levies.

Amend the Ohio Constitution to establish that a high quality education is a fundamental right for every Ohio child
Determine levels of funding based on student need for all types of students, including special education, vocational education, gifted or economically disadvantaged
Eliminate "phantom revenue" of untaxed property value calculations by the state, thereby reducing the need for local tax levies
Exempt Ohio seniors and disabled citizens from property taxes on the first $40,000 of the market value of their homes
Create an independent commission appointed by Ohio's top elected leaders - the governor, speaker of the House and Senate president - that monitors districts to ensure that high quality educational opportunities are available to students in a cost-effective manner
Direct the independent commission to report annually to the governor, General Assembly, State Board of Education and the public
Create and maintain a permanent local government fund to support police and fire departments, libraries and other local government services that support Ohio schools, our citizens and Ohio's ability to compete for jobs
Establish a system that ensures total state funding for Ohio's public institutions of higher education receive no less than the amount provided in 2007 and increases annually based on the state's personal income percentage.