Why Do Schools Keep Asking For More Money?
The short answer to this question is that while most of the revenues available to schools are fixed and inflexible, the cost of education continually rises. Many of the rising costs are out of the control of local school boards.
As a consumer of goods, school districts encounter inflation in most goods and services purchased. In addition to inflation, legal requirements, unfounded mandates and expanded services expected by communities add to increased operating costs of school districts. There are numerous legislated enactments, which have had significant cost implications to public schools in Ohio. For example, Ohio law requires bus transportation for all students in grades K-8 who reside more than two miles from school and public schools must provide the same level of transportation service to nonpublic students as they provide to their own students. Special education services must be provided for all children in the district who qualify under state and federal guidelines, regardless of cost. School Districts must employ at least 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils grades K-4. In addition, Ohio law prohibits reduction in staff because of economic hardship. As service organizations, most dollars in school district budgets are used for personnel, typically about 80 %. Ohio collective bargaining laws require school boards to negotiate. Salary and benefit levels with employee groups. Balancing fairness to employees, keeping pace with the market in order to attract good people, and accomplishing this with limited resources is a challenge for all school boards.