My eight children graduated from or are currently attending the Berea city schools. Two spend most of their day in the special needs resource room. I am grateful for their talented educators who provide them with the support they need to learn.
Gov. Mike DeWine said he crafted his 2026-27 budget proposal with children in mind. But experts from the Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers and Policy Matters Ohio say DeWine’s plan falls short in ways that will harm my kids.
DeWine says his proposal would fully phase in the Fair School Funding Plan, which state lawmakers passed four years ago to finally fix Ohio’s unconstitutional school funding system. But he bases his plan on 2022 costs – shortchanging kids of what they actually need to learn. As a parent, I can’t plan my grocery budget using 2022 prices, so how does it make sense for our schools?
DeWine’s budget does not include enough funding to properly educate students with special needs, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and English language learners. Under the Fair School Funding Plan, these students were promised additional funding that would account for the true cost of meeting their unique needs. But DeWine’s proposal offers no such additional funding.
DeWine’s proposal is now in the Ohio House, where Speaker Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, and his allies present a serious threat. Huffman called fully funding our public schools, which serve nearly 90% of Ohio students, “unsustainable,” while giving public funds to private schools that don’t have to serve kids who have challenges like mine. That seems unsustainable to me.
I belong to the All in for Ohio Kids Coalition, a group of parents, educators, and community leaders. In 2021, we submitted testimony, called legislators, and held rallies until lawmakers finally passed the Fair School Funding Plan. We will do it again this year.
The stakes are high for families like mine. Most of my children have had Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Qualifying for an IEP can be difficult. When budgets are tightened, specialized programs are often the first to go. Things like speech and occupational therapy aren’t luxuries; they are lifelines – critical for many children’s education and futures.
Public schools can’t turn kids with special needs away, but these children require extra attention and care. Imagine how overwhelming it can be for a teacher trying to meet diverse needs in overcrowded classrooms. Failing to update costs and funding for students with unique needs will only add to the teacher shortage many schools are facing.
There are other problems with DeWine’s K-12 proposal. DeWine reduces the minimum funding guarantees that make sure schools don’t have their state revenue cut suddenly. He also pins the funding for the wellness programs that provide mental health and emotional support programs to public school students throughout Ohio to 2022 costs. These programs have been indispensable for students in my working-class community, where many families cannot afford mental health care.
The governor’s plan has its flaws, but the Speaker and his allies would do far worse. This spring, All in For Ohio Kids will turn our attention back to the state budget. We will be joined by people from urban districts like Cleveland, rural ones like Firelands or large suburban ones like mine – all who love their public schools. We won’t allow a few politicians to steal from our children’s future. Our kids deserve a chance to go as far as their dreams can take them. And we’re going to do everything we can to make that happen.
Nicole Lesnick, a mother of eight, lives in Brook Park and is a leader with the All in for Ohio Kids Coalition.
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