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Centerville City School Board votes to join statewide school-funding coalition
Summary
The Centerville City Board of Education voted 4-1 to join the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding for the 2024-25 school year after a discussion about timing, fundraising and state budget pressures.
The Centerville City Board of Education voted to join the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding for the 2024-25 school year, with a 4-1 roll-call vote during the regular meeting. Board members approved the resolution to become a joiner in the coalition; one member voted no.
Board members said the decision is intended to amplify the district’s advocacy for changes to Ohio’s school-funding system amid state budget proposals the board said could reduce state support while expanding vouchers.
Board members and staff described the move as both a statement and a strategic action. The board president read a prepared explanation distributed as a frequently asked question, saying the district has relied heavily on local property taxes and that recent state proposals would shift more money to voucher programs. That explanation said the district hopes “by joining our voice with more than now 300 of the public school districts, our legislators will work toward a fairer school funding system.”
Board members discussed timing and cost. One member noted the lawsuit the coalition supports is not expected to move forward until November and reported that a private community group had offered to raise funds to cover the district’s joiner fee. Another board member said fundraising would likely continue regardless of the board’s vote and observed that the fee would be the same whether the district joined now or in July, and that joining now would extend membership through July 2026.
When the board called the roll on the resolution, the votes were: Mister Dahl — yes; Missus Durnbaugh — no; Doctor Graff — yes; Megan Sparks — yes; Doctor Roark — yes.
The board’s motion authorizes staff to proceed with the membership; the resolution does not itself change district spending levels or levy schedules.
Board members and staff also urged public engagement with legislators, citing multiple state bills the district is monitoring, including House Bill 96 and measures relating to candidate party designations and prohibitions on certain diversity, equity and inclusion employment practices. The board encouraged residents to use provided materials to contact legislators and said district representatives would be at the Statehouse for the Ohio School Boards Association legislative day.
The resolution to join the coalition now is intended to make the district’s concerns part of a larger, coordinated legal and advocacy effort rather than to commit new operating funds from the district beyond the joiner fee and any future decisions the board might make.
