In a survey released this morning by Scioto Analysis, 13 of 16 economists surveyed agreed that cutting school funding in Ohio would significantly increase inequality in Ohio. Over the last four years, Ohio's public schools have relied on the Cupp-Patterson Fair School Spending Plan to provide over $300 million in funds per year. This bill was initially supposed to provide funding through 2027, but the new Speaker of the House has indicated that he would like to cut this funding. If these funds are cut, it would reduce spending on public schools by about $650 million over the next two years.
As Kathryn Wilson from Kent State points out “The purpose of the funding was to have less reliance on local property taxes. There are large differences in per-student-spending across districts within Ohio. Reducing this funding will increase those gaps and increase inequality.”
Additionally, 13 of 16 economists agreed that these spending cuts would significantly reduce Ohio’s future economic output. Bill LaFayette wrote in his comment “School spending is not an expenditure, it is an investment in our future workforce. If we don't have the revenue to support our schools, colleges, and universities adequately, perhaps we should rethink some of those tax cuts.”
The Ohio Economic Experts Panel is a panel of over 40 Ohio Economists from over 30 Ohio higher educational institutions conducted by Scioto Analysis. The goal of the Ohio Economic Experts Panel is to promote better policy outcomes by providing policymakers, policy influencers, and the public with the informed opinions of Ohio’s leading economists. Individual responses to all surveys can be found here.