Kucinich criticizes Ohio education funding formula

Former U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich addressed a packed town hall meeting held at the Educational Service Center of Lorain County at 1885 Lake Ave. in Elyria on April 27.

The town hall addressed the issue of charter schools and Ohio’s education funding scheme. The event was organized by Lorain County Parents Supporting our Parents and Teachers and the audience included people on both sides of the charter school debate.

In remarks lasting about 20 minutes, Kucinich blasted Ohio’s charter school system for its lack of regulation and oversight and for its impact in drawing money away from Ohio’s public school system, eliciting vocal disagreement from some in attendance. He called the current state funding formula a “boondoggle” which hurts local school districts.

“The Ohio private charter school system is a boondoggle supported by billions in public funds with little transparency, accountability or government oversight,” Kucinich said.

Kucinich, former U.S. Rep., D-Ohio, and former mayor of Cleveland, has embarked on a series of town hall meetings beginning at the Ohio State Capitol on April 24 after consulting with principals, superintendents and other education officials and stakeholders over the last year.

Kucinich argued in his prepared remarks the present funding formula for education in Ohio has taken $10 billion in tax revenue from Ohio public schools since 1999, including $132 million in losses to Cleveland area public schools.

He added that 40 percent of the public money districts receive on a per-pupil basis from the state government comes directly from local property taxes, with public school systems having to make up the difference through either cuts or levies.

Avon Local Schools Superintendent Michael Laub said his district receives $1,039 per student from the state of Ohio and loses over $5,000 for each student who leaves the district, and called on attendees to look at the issue based on facts and circumstances.

“We shouldn’t brush each other with a broad stroke. The real issue here, fix funding in our state,” Laub said.

In a question-and-answer session following his remarks many supporters and officials representing charter schools made their made their disagreements with Kucinich. Several attendees pointed to the problems with the public system and the unique educational framework offered by certain charter schools.

Jayson Bendik, community outreach coordinator of Lorain’s Horizon Science Academy at 760 Tower Blvd., questioned why Kucinich chose to frame the debate in only criticizing charter schools while ignoring the problems in the public system.

“Shouldn’t the conversation be why families are choosing to leave the traditional public school system in the first place,” Bendik asked, eliciting cheers from the audience.

In addition, another audience member asked Kucinich if he planned to investigate misspending by public school systems in Toledo, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

In response to criticism, Kucinich said he was willing to work with anyone in attendance in order to get to the bottom of Ohio’s education funding which he believes to be unfair.

KEVIN MARTIN — THE MORNING JOURNAL Former U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich addresses a town hall audience at the Educational Service Center of Lorain County at 1885 Lake Ave. in Elyria, on April 27.