EDUCATION

The education section reflects a wide range of state-level activity with direct implications for districts: DEW is seeking feedback on draft integrated model curriculum materials for elementary and middle grades; the EdChoice litigation is moving toward oral arguments with expanded time due to the scope of the case; districts may use an America 250 design on diplomas for students earning the Citizenship Seal; the DEW Student Transportation Workgroup has delayed final recommendations to allow for more detail and data; and Ohio public broadcasters continue to experience funding losses despite a recent federal court ruling related to NPR and PBS. Taken together, these developments show that curriculum design, school finance, transportation policy, civic education, and public information infrastructure remain active and unsettled areas requiring district attention.

District advocacy position 

Emphasize that curriculum resources are most useful when they are high quality, implementation-ready, and accompanied by professional learning rather than dropped on districts like a mystery box with standards attached.

• The EdChoice case remains a central equity issue, and districts should continue pressing the argument that the state cannot expand private school subsidies while leaving public school systems to absorb concentrated need with structurally inadequate support.

• Transportation recommendations must be grounded in real cost drivers, workforce shortages, route realities, and safety expectations, not in theoretical compliance language detached from district operations.

 GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

House Democrats introduced a package of affordability-related bills focused on health care, housing, child care, consumer goods, and energy in response to criticism that Ohio leaders have not done enough to address cost-of-living pressures. The debate underscores a broader policy reality for public schools: affordability is not separate from education. Family economic stress affects attendance, student mobility, mental health, hunger, and academic readiness, all of which arrive at the schoolhouse door whether the Legislature chooses to acknowledge that or not.

 District advocacy position 

• Continue making the case that student outcomes are inseparable from family stability, and that affordability policy is education policy whether the Statehouse labels it that way or not.

• Advocacy should connect poverty, food insecurity, housing instability, and child care access directly to chronic absenteeism, student engagement, and district service burdens.

• State leaders should be pressed to align economic policy decisions with the actual conditions schools are being asked to manage every day.

 POLLS/STUDIES

A Quinnipiac University poll found substantial public concern about artificial intelligence, including its effects on education and the workforce, business use, and government regulation. The poll also found broad opposition to locating AI data centers in local communities, with electricity costs, water use, and noise cited as the main concerns, while supporters pointed to job creation, tax revenue, and tech hub potential. For districts, the takeaway is clear: the AI conversation is no longer abstract. It is now tied to community economics, infrastructure demands, labor market shifts, and public expectations about how schools prepare students for a rapidly changing environment.

 District advocacy position 

• Advocate for a balanced state AI agenda that addresses instructional opportunity, workforce preparation, student safeguards, and infrastructure consequences all at once.

• Public policy around AI should not treat schools as an afterthought. Districts need support for digital literacy, staff training, academic integrity, and ethical use frameworks.

• Communities deserve honest discussion about the tradeoffs of AI-related development. Job creation matters, but so do utility costs, water consumption, and long-term impacts on public services, including schools.

Families across Ohio deserve relief from rising property taxes, and communities deserve strong schools, safe neighborhoods, and reliable public services. Achieving both is possible, but only if the responsibility is shared fairly among families, local governments, businesses, and the state.

The Springfield City School District recognizes that change is necessary, and our team is committed to being part of the solution. However, reforms must be balanced to protect both taxpayers and the future of public education.

What happened?

• State Policy Shifts
  Over time, state-level decisions have placed greater reliance on local property taxes to fund schools.

• School District Actions
  Districts have already implemented consolidations, shared services, and efficiency measures to reduce costs while protecting student learning.

• Changing Tax Burden
  The balance has shifted significantly: homeowners and farmers now pay nearly 70% of school property taxes, compared to just 47% in 1991. Businesses, by contrast, carry a far smaller share than they once did.

• Community Actions
  Residents can play an important role by:

• Talking directly with legislators about the need for fair reform.

• Informing teachers and staff about the impact of state policy changes.

• Engaging neighbors and community members in conversations about equity.

• Advocating for solutions that ensure schools remain strong and property tax reform is balanced.

Ohio Schools’ Commitments

• Transparency
  We will continue to be clear about where funding comes from and how it is spent, ensuring accountability to taxpayers.

• Empathy
  Property taxes feel high because they are high—homeowners and farmers are paying more than ever before.

• Partnership
  We support reforms that relieve families while also ensuring strong schools and safe, thriving communities.

Key Point

Unlike those who blame schools for rising property taxes, Ohio schools are allies of taxpayers. State-level tax policy changes have shifted the burden dramatically: homeowners and farmers now carry nearly 70% of the load—the highest in state history.

Balanced reform is necessary. Families deserve relief. Schools and communities deserve stability. Together, both are possible.

The Myth of Exploding School Budgets

Despite what you may hear, school funding hasn’t exploded. In fact, over the last 20 years, schools have been asked to take on significantly more, from advanced technology to safety upgrades to expanded student support, but the funding to pay for these initiatives has barely budged. When you adjust for inflation, state revenue per student has only grown by a fraction of a percent each year. Schools are being asked to do a lot more with essentially the same resources.

1. State revenues have not kept pace.

• From 2000 to 2022, overall state revenue actually decreased by 2.2% after inflation.

• On a per student basis, state revenue grew just 6.6% over 22 years — that’s only about 0.3% a year.
  ➡️ In other words, state funding for each student has been essentially flat for two decades.

2. School spending increases look big until you break them down.

• Overall, school spending rose 9.4% over 22 years — that’s only 0.43% a year after inflation.

• On a per-student basis, spending grew 19.4% over 22 years, or about 0.88% a year after inflation.
  ➡️ Less than 1% growth per year is hardly the “massive increase” some claim.

3. Expectations have skyrocketed while funding hasn’t.

• Schools are asked to provide far more today than in 2000: new technology, safety measures, mental health supports, career readiness pathways, and more.

• Yet the dollars to support those responsibilities have stayed nearly flat.

How to Advocate

1. Contact your legislators about the need for balanced reform.

2. Ask: What would losing teachers, staff, or programs mean for our community?

3. Share this information with neighbors, friends, business leaders, and community groups to amplify Springfield’s voice.

Moving Forward

Springfield’s students deserve stable, equitable resources that reflect today’s educational costs and community priorities. Thoughtful tax reform is welcome; unfunded mandates are not. By engaging legislators now, residents can protect instructional quality, public safety, and the economic vitality of the entire city, today and for generations to come.

• Sample Phone Script (Word Version)

• Sample Phone Script (PDF Version)

• Sample Email or Letter (Word Version)

• Sample Email or Letter (PDF Version)

• Fact Sheet

Send the SCSD an email at:

communications@scsdoh.org

Leverage our downloadable advocacy letter and phone script to contact your state legislators. Urge them to support balanced property tax reform that provides relief for families, restores fairness in who pays, and protects strong schools and essential community services. By acting together, we can ensure the Springfield City School District remains strong and sustainable for generations to come.