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Cincinnati City Council unanimously backs Fair School Funding resolution
Summary
Cincinnati City Council on May 21 adopted a unanimous resolution urging the Ohio Senate and governor to continue implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan and to fully fund it in the FY 2026–27 state budget.
Cincinnati City Council voted unanimously on May 21 to adopt a resolution urging continued implementation and full funding of Ohio’s Fair School Funding Plan as the state finalizes the fiscal year 2026–27 budget.
The resolution, introduced by Vice Mayor Kearney on behalf of all members of council, “express[es] the support of council for continued implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan and urging the Ohio senate and governor to ensure that the fiscal year 2026–27 budget includes continued implementation and full funding.” Vice Mayor Kearney told the council the 2021 statewide formula was adopted to reduce disparities tied to property values and to make state funding fairer across districts.
Why it matters: Cincinnati Public Schools and labor leaders told council that continued state implementation matters to the city’s students and finances. Michael Guston, assistant treasurer for Cincinnati Public Schools, said CPS “support[s] the full implementation of Ohio's fair school funding formula, which includes updating the base cost to 2024 levels and full funding of the state's own special education study.” He added that CPS currently receives “just 36¢ for every dollar that the funding generate[s],” a point he used to underline the district’s continued funding gap.
Several speakers from Cincinnati Public Schools and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers urged council to back the resolution and to press state lawmakers to fully fund the formula. Julie Sellers, president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, said, “We are losing funding from the state due to the higher property values within the city. This year alone, the first year of the 3 year average, we're losing $15,000,000 because property values in Cincinnati have increased.”
CPS board member Jim Crossett framed the argument in fiscal terms, urging the city to invest in public schools as the best return on investment and warning that charter schools and vouchers have not delivered improved outcomes. He said, “The best place to invest money is Cincinnati public schools.”
The council discussed, but did not include, local claims about whether city tax abatements reduced school revenue; Vice Mayor Kearney said the statements referenced by one council member were not part of the resolution. Council then adopted the resolution by roll call; every council member recorded a “Yes” vote.
Discussion versus action: The recorded action was a formal council resolution (Item 5) expressing support for continued state implementation and full funding of the Fair School Funding Plan. There was no separate local ordinance or direct appropriation tied to the resolution at this meeting.
Ending: Council members said they will support statewide advocacy to preserve or complete the Fair School Funding Plan’s implementation; council's passage is a symbolic and political endorsement aimed at state lawmakers as the FY 2026–27 budget is finalized.
