DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF)– We’re continuing our coverage on the impacts of the Ohio state budget Governor DeWine signed into law Monday night. We’re breaking down the changes coming to school districts across the state.
Governor DeWine line-item vetoed a total of 67 items in the state budget, including a cash balance carryover. That would have put a cap on the amount of money school districts can carry over between school years.
DeWine said limiting these dollars, would cause more districts to ask taxpayers to pass levies, more often. The governor said this could lead to property tax increases and the possibility of levies failing due to levy fatigue.
What did make it into the state budget was a proposal to change how school districts get their students to and from school. State Representative Phil Plummer of Dayton proposed this change after a Dunbar High School student, Alfred Hale III was shot and killed at the RTA bus hub in downtown Dayton while waiting for the bus.
Dayton Public Schools superintendent, Dr. David Lawrence responding to the proposal’s passage. He said with the first day of school approaching on August 12th, time is running out to come up with a solution. He said in a statement in part:
“We are actively engaging community leaders, business partners, and city officials to identify resources and explore options to support our students. Without viable alternatives in place before the start of the school year, families may be left with the responsibility of transporting students.”
The new state budget also finalizes a cellphone ban in Ohio’s classrooms. Governor DeWine said this ban is a step in the right direction to help children focus and learn during the school day, while creating a positive and distraction-free environment for teachers.
We’ll continue to follow the impacts of the new state budget on air and online. You can view a full list of Governor DeWine’s vetoes here.
