Students’ success in school depends not just on their exposure to core academics, but also on arts, athletics, and college guidance programs. Yet Ohio is poised to drop a state rule, more than 30 years old, that requires local schools to hire nurses, guidance counselors, arts teachers, and other such employees.
The State Board of Education voted recently to overturn the “five of eight” rule, which requires school districts to employ at least five staff members from eight categories — including art teachers, physical-education teachers, nurses, and librarians — for every 1,000 students. Some Ohio parents and teachers are criticizing that change. But the decision is a symptom, not a cause, of a state and nationwide problem: declining funding for public schools.
A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank, found that most states are still spending less per student in school aid than they did before the Great Recession. In Ohio, overall spending per student is about the same as it was seven years ago.
Funding for traditional public schools dropped during Gov. John Kasich’s first term, while funding for charter schools rose by 27 percent, even though nine of 10 Ohio students attend traditional schools. Despite receiving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, too many charter schools are inadequately regulated and perform poorly.
So it’s no surprise — but also no solution — that as school districts feel increasing financial pressure, the state school board is doing away with some costly requirements. Board members framed their decision to cut the “five of eight” rule as a matter of giving control back to local districts that know best how to meet the needs of their communities.
That may be just as well, because forcing cash-strapped schools to fund programs they can’t pay for, while they struggle to strengthen core academic offerings, could do more harm than good. Still, there is a strong case for minimum, state-level requirements to ensure that schools don’t cut critical services excessively.
The repeal of “five of eight” won’t allow districts to eliminate art, music, and physical-education curricula. But it could mean that schools won’t have to provide enough teachers for such programs to serve all their students.
If schools are to meet students’ needs, they’ll need adequate funding, both state and local. No school official deliberately cuts programs such as those mandated by “five of eight.”
Instead, educators are forced to make such cuts because of budget constraints. Wealthy school districts will continue to hire enough support personnel, while poor districts will struggle to do so.
A significant increase in school funding seems unlikely under the current administration. The decision to end “five of eight” may only reduce pressure in the Statehouse to increase aid.
Last November, voters rightly approved a $13 million levy for Toledo Public Schools, which has suffered deep cuts in state funding. Voters must continue to approve local levies as long as the state refuses to pick up the tab.
Meanwhile, if state officials are serious about repairing Ohio’s economy, they can start by doing their part to repair its schools.
First Published January 4, 2015, 5:00 a.m.