The Crisis in State Funding of Education

The Ohio General Assembly passed and Governor Strickland signed a two-year budget in July 2009 that included a plan to place Video Lottery Terminals (slot machines) at 7 racetracks across Ohio. It was expected that these VLT’s would raise up to $933 million over the two-year budget. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that citizens could challenge this budget item by collecting enough official signatures to let the voters decide whether they supported the VLT’s. By allowing a vote that would not take place until November 2010 the state cannot earn funds from the VLT’s. This means that there is a gap of $933 million in the state budget.

Ohio Youth Voices has produced a guide to understanding how the state’s funding conflict impacts education in Ohio.  Click here to download The Crisis in State Funding of Education.