OPPONENT TESTIMONY ON HB 153 BY
DAN LANGSHAW
NORTH ROYALTON SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER
BEFORE THE
OHIO SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
May 17, 2011
Chairman Widener, Vice Chair Jones, Ranking Member Skindell, and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on Amended Substitute House Bill (Am. Sub. HB) 153 the State Operating Budget. My name is Dan Langshaw and I am member of the North Royalton School Board.
On behalf of my school district and the over 4,700 students in our community that we serve, I am here to express opposition to Am. Sub HB 153 in its’ current form. Back on April 7, 2011 I gave testimony on HB 153 and its devastating funding loss to the North Royalton City School District of almost $5 million in the next biennial budget. This amounts to a total percentage cut of 38% in state funding.
My district has met every state and federal accountability measure imposed upon us, and our students continue to achieve at the highest of levels. Our school district continues to rank high in performance with one of the lowest cost per pupil expenditures in the entire county. In May 2009 our community stepped up during one of the toughest recessions since the Great Depression to pass a 6.2 mil levy because they value public education! Our community has done all that they can do, yet their reward is the state failing to do their fair share. The Governor may claim to be holding the line on taxes at the state level, but his actions are clearly passing the greater tax burden onto local communities like the North Royalton City School District.
The budget that was approved by the House made minor changes to the governor’s original proposal. In the most recent version, my district stands to lose $4.6 million rather than $4.9 million which will still have a profound negative impact on our district. We appreciate the effort that was made in the House in regards to State Foundation Aid; however it does not go far enough to address the issues that still remain with funding public education in our state.
Attached in my testimony today is a resolution from my board that was recently unanimously approved opposing these funding cuts. In our resolution we urge the legislature to not penalize our district and like districts while offering increases to other districts. We also urge the state legislature to focus on including a reduction cap of 20% or less on the total state funding districts received in fiscal 2011. This includes not only state foundation aid, but the tangible personal property reimbursement and utility KwH reimbursement as well.
In closing, Senators it is our hope that the Senate Finance Committee will support an amendment similar to the one introduced on the floor of the House by Representative Mike Dovilla to HB 153, that will address the issues I have just mentioned. Until that happens, we will remain in opposition to Am. Sub HB 153.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.