The Speaker of the House isn’t pleased that the Senate has diverted some money his chamber had put toward services for lower-income students into other educational priorities.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget had put $550 million into a fund for lower-income districts to provide counselors, after school programs and other wraparound services. The House added $125 million to that. Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) said that extra money was moved into the voucher program and to supplement funding for fast-growing school districts. House Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) noticed.
“I know there was money that went to some of the wealthier schools, the ‘capped’ schools, and I kind of thought that’s where it went – sort of a ‘rob from the poor, give to the rich’ kind of a thing.”
Senators said the money move is not a response to the threat of a lawsuit by some fast-growing districts that have had their increases in state funding limited or capped.
