Re: Support for Public Education and Key Amendments to Amended Substitute House Bill 96

Dear Speaker Huffman and Members of the House Finance Committee,

As residents of Ohio and strong supporters of public education, We are writing to urge you to adopt the following recommendations in the final version of Amended Substitute House Bill 96. These requests reflect the concerns of educational leaders from across the state.

1. Public Education Funding
First and foremost, We ask you to prioritize stable and sufficient funding for public schools. The future of Ohio depends on how well we support our students today, and public education funding is essential to developing a skilled and engaged workforce.

2. Property Tax Reforms
While We support thoughtful property tax relief, it must not come at the expense of our schools. Please:

Remove provisions that undermine local control or make it harder for districts to raise necessary funds.

Retain the ability to place fixed-sum (emergency) levies on the ballot and rename them for clarity, not eliminate them.

Remove provisions limiting renewal levies and avoid changes that increase voter confusion.

Protect the 20-mill floor provision by either removing changes or limiting them to future levies passed by voters.

Remove the cash balance restrictions and instead allow districts to set local policies that provide transparency without jeopardizing operations.

Reject changes giving county budget commissions power to reduce voter-approved millage, as this could violate constitutional uniformity and fairness.

Policy and Governance Concerns
We urge you to:

Maintain nonpartisan school board elections. Introducing partisanship would undermine local control, increase costs, and reduce candidate eligibility.

Remove provisions that eliminate STRS/SERS contribution flexibility for superintendents and treasurers, which hinders recruitment and retention.

Exclude changes to Educational Regional Service Centers from the bill and allow for separate legislation and stakeholder input.

Restore the pupil transportation workgroup as proposed in the House version, allowing a comprehensive review of the transportation system.

Academic and Student Policy
Finally, We urge you to:

Delay mandated math interventions until more input and evidence can be gathered.

Use the House version of the math acceleration proposal, which better reflects logistical realities.

Remove the Senate’s proposed changes to territory transfers, and consider any such revisions in standalone legislation.

These positions reflect a balanced approach that supports Ohio's students while ensuring fiscal responsibility and local governance. I urge you to adopt these recommendations in the final version of HB 96 and protect the integrity of public education in our state.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

The Citizens of Loveland City School District.