The taxpayers of southwestern Ohio have run out of patience with the business-as-usual legislators that refuse to address important issues such as school funding.  The entrenched legislators that created the school funding system do not recognize its deficiencies.  They continue to place the financial burden on local school boards and property owners, and are unwilling to listen to concerns of the citizens and address the system inequities.

Government officials are not the sole keepers of wisdom.  We need legislators that will to listen to the folks in our schools and learn about the issues rather than dictating their preconceived ideas.  It is simply wrong for state and Federal government to place burdens and requirements on local schools and then refuse to fund them.  We need legislators that care about public education and have the political courage to address the deficiencies that are shortchanging the citizens and schools in southwestern Ohio. 

The following short-term fixes can be made to the system. 

• Adjust school funding based on student population.  Growing school districts receive no money for additional students; while more than 1200 new students have enrolled at Lakota schools since 2005, the state has provided no additional funding.
• Stop unfunded mandates.  The Federal and state government should provide money for new requirements.
• Restore revenue lost because of implementation of the Commercial Activity Tax (CAT); without an adjustment, Middletown schools will lose $10 million a year.
• Stop the transfer of public school money to private companies for profit. 

Our current legislators simply don’t understand the problem and are not supporting public schools and taxpayers in the area.  It is time for a change.  We need legislators that understand the importance of public education and will work with Governor Strickland to address the inequities in the current system.