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Member Alert

Date: May 28, 2015

To: School board members, superintendents, treasurers/CFOs, business managers and other school business officials

From: Damon Asbury, OSBA — (614) 540-4000 Tom Ash, BASA — (614) 846-4080 Barbara Shaner, OASBO — (614) 325-9562

Re: Senate Finance Committee hearings on budget legislation

The Ohio Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Scott Oelslager (R- Canton), heard reports from each of the committee’s subcommittees this week on the biennial budget bill for fiscal years (FY) 2016-2017. During this week’s hearing, the subcommittees’ chairs recapped testimony they received from various state agencies and summarized the public testimony presented to the subcommittees over the last several weeks. At this point, there has been little information provided on the direction the Senate will take in its version of the budget. Various reports have indicated that the Senate is considering deeper tax cuts than those proposed by the House. The next step in the legislative process is for the Senate Finance Committee to introduce the Senate’s substitute bill, which is expected on June 8, followed by public testimony from June 9 to June 12. A Senate floor vote is tentatively planned for June 17. Please continue to reach out to your local state senators and make your voices heard. Once the substitute bill is introduced on June 8, we will send out as much information as possible on the Senate changes. We encourage you to follow up with your senator once the substitute bill is released and, if possible, testify before the full Senate Finance Committee.

Please contact us with any questions you may have at this time.

Important Links: OSBA/BASA/OASBO joint testimony before the subcommittee Dr. Howard Fleeter (OEPI) testimony before the subcommittee Link to Legislative Service Commission HB 64 budget resource page

Date: April 22, 2015

To : School board members, superintendents, treasurers/CFOs, business managers and other school business officials

From : Damon Asbury, OSBA — (614) 540-4000 Tom Ash, BASA — (614) 846-4080 Barbara Shaner, OASBO — (614) 325-9562

Re:

House votes on budget bill

The Ohio House of Representatives voted today to approve Substitute House Bill (HB) 64, the biennial budget bill for fiscal years (FY) 2016-2017. It includes a net increase in education funding of more than $900 million. The bill makes positive structural changes to the school-funding formula, as we had requested, and includes a hold-harmless provision to cover Tangible Personal Property (TPP) and Public Utility Tangible Personal Property (PUTPP) tax replacement payments to schools at FY 2015 levels. No district will receive less money than in FY 2015, including TPP and PUTPP replacement payments. The bill would provide 446 districts with a net increase in funding. The total package represents a major improvement to the as- introduced version of HB 64. We urge members to contact House members to thank them for the positive changes for education the House bill makes. We believe the House school-funding plan recognizes the feedback and input provided by education leaders from around the state and it is important to now say “thank you.” Our organizations have shifted focus to begin working with the Senate on HB 64. The Senate Finance Committee is already holding hearings on the budget. Tim Keen, director of the Office of Budget and Management, and others from the governor’s administration have testified this week explaining the governor's original budget proposal. It is crucial that members contact their own Senate members immediately and urge them to adopt the House education budget. Request that the Senate retain the positive improvements to the funding formula and the added investment levels for education the House proposal provides, including the TPP/PUTPP hold-harmless provision. Over the next several weeks, we will be asking members to continue to make regular contacts with various Senate leaders, as well as their own Senate members. We strongly encourage district leaders to come and testify in support of the House-proposed structural changes to the funding formula and the need to hold the line on TPP/PUTPP replacement payments. The Senate could revert back to the governor’s original proposal, or it may work from the House version of the budget. We need to urge them to work from the House version of HB 64.

As you can see, we have much work ahead. We need your help!

The following are important links, including the latest district-by-district budget simulations and a Columbus Dispatch article covering the House version of the education budget:

Click here for the latest simulations Click here for the Columbus Dispatch article

Date: June 1, 2015

To: School board members, superintendents, treasurers/CFOs, business managers and other school business officials

From: Damon Asbury, OSBA – (614) 540-4000 Tom Ash, BASA – (614) 846-4080 Barbara Shaner, OASBO – (614) 325-9562

Re: Budget (House Bill 64) Update

As the Ohio Senate looks to unveil its version of the state budget for the next two years on June 8, our associations have delivered the attached letter to Senate President Keith Faber and provided a copy to each member of the Ohio Senate. Click here for a copy of that letter. Also attached here is an article printed on Friday by The Columbus Dispatch. It highlights the differences in the approaches to a new school- funding formula among the administration, the House, and the Senate. This is a critical time in the budget process, and we encourage you to contact your state senator in order to make your voice heard. In addition, public testimony on House Bill 64 will be accepted by the Senate Finance Committee from June 9 through June 12. If you are able and interested in testifying, please let us know so that we can facilitate that process for you. Written testimony will also be welcome.

Please contact us with any questions that you may have.

Important Links: Dispatch Article OSBA/BASA/OASBO letter to Sen. Faber