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Governor Still Working on Charter School Crackdown

Governor John Kasich speaking at Woodland Hills Village School a charter in Cleveland.
Governor John Kasich speaking at Woodland Hills Village School a charter in Cleveland.

Governor Kasich is focused on eliminating bad charter schools by banning their sponsors. And The Governor has been talking to state school superintendent Dick Ross about creating a process to do that, while ensuring it couldn’t be misused by future superintendents opposed to the schools.

“You can get someone in that position who’s just against choice. And I don’t want that to be the case so I mentioned to Dick this morning that we have to figure out a mechanism where these schools are judged fairly. We don’t want to have this done on a philosophical basis. Some people don’t want any choice – OK I get that - but I’m not going to eliminate choice in this state because I think choice is healthy for our kids.”

Kasich likes the Cleveland schools’ model where the public schools work with the private sector to sponsor a group of charters schools.

The governor said he’s hoping struggling Youngstown schools will come up with a similar model. When asked, he told State Impact that he had no intention of a state takeover of Youngstown schools.

School Funding

While the governor was speaking, the state budget office was releasing its figures on what funding public school districts will be getting over the next two years under his budget. Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and Cincinnati city schools are all looking at 10% increases in the first year. More wealthy districts are generally seeing cuts. The Governor was asked by reporters about redistributing wealth.

“I don’t see it as redistribution I see it as a way in which you run a formula driving resources to those people that need it the most for kids to be able to be successful and be able to have the great educations. So this is a formula that tries to deliver the money where it’s most needed.”

A little more than half of the Ohio districts will see a reduction in funding. Well-off Hudson City Schools in Summit County are facing 5 and one-half percent cuts for each of the next two years.