Guest Column from State Representative Jim Buchy

Fewer Mandates in Education Equals Better Schools with Local Decision Making

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.