The Ohio Democratic Party is committed to providing every child with a quality education, ensuring they have the resources and tools for success.  The Party recognizes that education is vital to Ohio’s prosperity and is committed to expanding educational opportunities for all.

Ohio Republicans fail to make the grade on education.  School budgets across the state have become increasingly stretched, forcing many major school districts to lay off teachers and increase class sizes.  Schools are facing rising costs, and Republican lawmakers failed to keep pace in its funding.  During the Taft Administration, higher education received the least amount of attention; decreases in state funds put pressure on public colleges and universities to increase tuition, therefore placing the burden on students and their families.

Governor Ted Strickland understands the challenges schools face having been a college professor at Shawnee State University.  Investing in scholarship programs, making college more affordable, holding schools accountable and retaining talented Ohio students after graduation are a few ways Democratic elected officials are turning around Ohio.

GOP RECORD

Rising Tuition Costs Placed Burden on Working Families

• Cost of College Tuition Increased By 73 Percent.  During the Taft Administration, state colleges and universities received minimal funding increases, far below the rate of inflation.  As a result, schools raised tuition and fees annually, placing the burden on Ohio’s families.  Since 2000, in-state undergraduate tuition at Ohio’s four-year universities has increased 73 percent. [Columbus Dispatch, 12/31/06; Center for Community Solutions, "The Taft Record: What It Means for Ohio’s Future,” 2006]

Well-Educated, Young Ohioans Leave State for Better Opportunities

• Ohio Second to Last in Retaining Well-Educated Young People.  Ohio ranked 50th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in its ability to attract and hold onto well-educated young people ages 19-24. [Ohio Department of Administrative Services]

Republicans Spent Millions on Failing Schools…

• Republican Lawmakers Spent Hundreds of Millions on Failing Charter Schools.  Under Governor Taft, Ohioans saw an explosion of privately operated charter schools. The number of schools grew from 15 with 2,245 students costing the state $11 million in 1999 to 293 schools with 72,053 students costing $485 million in 2006.  Republicans spent hundreds of millions of dollars on schools that have performed worse than public schools.  The state’s failure to properly monitor charter schools has led to their closure at a rate two times higher than the national average.  In central Ohio alone, 11 of the 17 charter schools were deemed in “academic emergency” in 2004, equal to an F on the state’s report card. [Columbus Dispatch, 12/31/06]

…But Refused to Fund a Promising College Readiness Plan

• Improperly Funded the College Readiness Initiative.  During a lame duck period right before leaving office, Governor Taft and state lawmakers passed the Ohio Core Initiative, creating higher standards for high school students.  Under this initiative, students are required to take more math, foreign language and arts classes as well as take an eleventh grade entrance exam in order to attend a four-year public college. However, Taft failed to provide the money to implement these new programs. He asked local school districts to shift their spending priorities within their budgets, but many school districts were already facing budget shortfalls. [Akron Beacon Journal, 11/19/06]

WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED

GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND

Investing in Ohio's Education System

• Record Investment in Public Schools.  Governor Strickland and the Ohio legislature passed a budget that brings the percentage of state support of local schools to nearly 54 percent.  To read more about the state’s biennial budget, please click here.

• Historic Levels of Funding for Ohio’s Public Colleges and Universities.  Governor Strickland and the Ohio legislature passed a budget that establishes a two-year tuition freeze for all students attending the state’s public colleges and universities.  Ohio college students receiving the Ohio College Opportunity Grant will double in the first year and triple in the second year.  $8.5 million in state seed money will be designated to help raise $100 million in private scholarship support (a partnership with the Ohio College Access Network).  To read more about the state’s biennial budget, please click here.

• Strengthening Adult Education Programs.  Governor Strickland and the Ohio legislature passed a budget that invests in adult learning programs.  The budget allows for the creation of Accelerate Ohio, a program designed to help adult workers pursue higher education by providing college credit for appropriate work-related certificates and training programs.  Adult career technical education programs will be transferred from the Department of Education to the Board of Regents, creating a seamless system of lifelong learning and higher education opportunities for Ohio’s workers.  To read more about the state’s biennial budget, please click here.

• Creating New Scholarship Programs to Generate New Jobs and Promote High Tech Careers.  Governor Strickland and the Ohio legislature passed a budget that creates a new Ohio Innovation Partnership that will include two new programs: the Choose Ohio First Scholarship, a $100 million scholarship program to encourage Ohio students to study technology, engineering or mathematics and the Ohio Research Scholars program, a $50 million effort to recruit world-class scholars tied to job creation in Ohio's regional economies.  To read more about the state’s biennial budget, please click here.