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Less Mandates in Education Equals Better
Schools with Local Decision Making
By State Representative Jim Buchy, District 77
Recently, the Ohio House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill
30, which removes many unfunded and unnecessary mandates that have been
forced on our local schools. I was happy to support this legislation,
which passed by a vote of 59 to 36 with bipartisan support and will
move to the Senate for further action.
As passed by the House, HB 30 will remove mandates from schools that
tie the hands of administrators and teachers. This was a needed change
that will help schools balance quality education and budget cuts that
are unavoidable. The bill will remove portions of the “Evidence-Based
Model” (EBM) school funding system, which will save schools money by
removing certain requirements for the reporting of annual spending
plans and eliminating the School Funding Advisory Council, which added
another unnecessary level of bureaucratic red tape at the Ohio
Department of Education.
Perhaps the most beneficial accomplishment of this bill is that it
eliminates the requirement that school districts offer all-day
kindergarten and reinstates the permanent authority for most districts
and community schools to charge tuition for all-day kindergarten. Local
administrators know best how to spend their money, and schools should
decide based on their individual financial situations if they can offer
all-day kindergarten. This was a needed change that local school
districts across the state asked for, and we have responded through HB
30.
It would be good practice for an administrator to prepare for future
textbook needs, but it is an inappropriate government requirement, so
this bill eliminates the requirement that school districts annually set
aside an amount per pupil into a textbook and instructional materials
fund. Overall, the passage of this bill provides for the restructuring
of schools to operate on a smaller budget but provide needed education
for students.
It is a fundamental principal of education to connect the school with
the community, and while many schools in District 77 have excelled at
this effort, the government cannot require schools to do things that
the state cannot fund.
Governor Kasich has not yet unveiled his budget for Ohio, but my
colleagues and I are committed to paving the way for a more responsive,
accountable state government. In November, Ohioans sent a clear message
when they elected a Republican to every major statewide office. These
candidates ran on platforms of a better government operating within its
means. Ohioans know that there is an $8 billion budget gap, and they
have entrusted our leaders who they know can put Ohio back on the right
track.
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