Finance Facts

Feb. 28, 2025

A recent study by the Ohio State Auditor's office, analyzed by education finance expert Dr. Howard Fleeter, reveals concerning trends in Ohio's approach to school funding over the past two decades. The findings paint a picture of stagnant investment despite growing student needs.

From 2000 to 2022, Ohio's public school spending increased by just 9.4 percent after adjusting for inflation and excluding temporary COVID-19 funding. This represents less than half a percent annual increase, with most growth occurring between 2000-2010 following an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that declared the state's school funding system unconstitutional. Since 2010, school spending has essentially plateaued, barely keeping pace with inflation.

Meanwhile, the landscape of student needs has shifted dramatically. While overall enrollment declined by 8.3 percent, the proportion of students requiring additional support has surged - economically disadvantaged students nearly doubled from 27 to 46.6 percent, and students with disabilities increased from 9 to 15.7 percent. This means schools now serve more high-need students who require greater resources, even as total enrollment has decreased.

Perhaps most troubling is Ohio's declining commitment to education funding relative to other states. Ohio has fallen from 35th to 45th in state support for education nationally. After inflation adjustments, state funding actually decreased by 2.2 percent over the 22-year period, forcing local communities to shoulder an increasing share of educational costs.

These trends have significant implications for our community as state legislators make crucial budget decisions. The growing gap between student needs and state support places mounting pressure on local resources to maintain educational quality.

We encourage community members to engage with district leadership - our superintendent, Fred Bolden, and treasurer, Tim Pickana -  to better understand how these statewide funding patterns specifically impact our local schools and students.

Data source: Ohio State Auditor's "Longitudinal School Finance Study" (November 2024) and analysis by the Ohio Education Policy Institute (OEPI).

Solon Schools Funding: A Local Perspective

While many Ohio public schools receive substantial state funding — some districts getting 80 to 90 percent of their total operating revenue from the state — Solon City School District has historically received just 5 percent of its operating funds from state formula funding.

Under the state's new Cupp-Patterson funding formula (still being considered in the legislature for this year), Solon has done somewhat better due in part to that historic underfunding based on the perception of our community as a high property wealth district. Those gains have been helpful, but we are still primarily covered by local tax dollars.

Additionally, the Solon City Schools previously received 17 percent of our operating revenue funding from Tangible Personal Property (TPP) taxes. That crucial local funding source has now been 100 percent eliminated over the past 12 years — a loss to the district of $90 million.

Wiping out this significant local revenue stream has severely impacted Solon's capital improvement capabilities. If this $90 million had not been stripped away by the state government, the district would have been much closer to realizing its goal of building a new Solon High School.