Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hamilton County commission and school leaders to meet after lengthy budget debate over COVID-era spending
Summary
Commissioners debated school funding, COVID-era one-time dollars, maintenance-of-effort obligations and upcoming joint meeting with the school board; county officials said overall local funding will be similar or higher this year, while school representatives offered details on how one-time funds were used.
Chairman Ebersole and members of the Hamilton County Commission spent an extended portion of the meeting discussing school funding, the use of COVID-era one-time dollars and the work the commission and the school board will do together to address budget priorities.
Why it matters: Commissioners said they are receiving many public inquiries about school spending and potential cuts. The discussion clarified roles under state law, the county’s maintenance-of-effort obligations, and that some positions funded with one-time federal COVID dollars were not permanently budgeted.
Chairman Ebersole told the commission, “We will not tell the school board where to spend their money. That by state law is the school board’s responsibility with the superintendent.” He said commissioners had previously cautioned school leaders about using one-time federal funds for ongoing obligations.
Commissioner Graham and others emphasized that a reduction in “COVID money” is not the same as a cut to the school budget; Graham said maintenance-of-effort rules mean the schools will receive at least the same local funding level as last year. County Chief Financial Officer Lee Browner confirmed the county has met maintenance-of-effort in the past and said it will continue to do so.
Ben Connor, who identified himself by name at the meeting, told commissioners he would provide an itemized list of how COVID-era funds were spent. Connor told the commission that roughly $20 million went to charter schools, about $30 million toward a high school project, and about $100 million toward services, and he offered to deliver a line-item breakdown to commissioners.
Commissioners and school representatives agreed to a joint meeting at the Harris Community Center (the former Harrison Elementary site) on Monday evening to review budgets and priorities. The chair said the commission will not seek to manage school spending line by line but asked the school board and superintendent to work with the commission to ensure dollars go to direct student services.
Public comment included a plea from Cathy Lennon, who said the county must invest in education and warned that voucher legislation and other recent state measures could threaten public school funding and student access. Lennon also urged the county and school system to prioritize student-facing programs such as arts and transportation.
No formal county action or appropriation altering school funding was taken during the meeting; commissioners scheduled follow-up discussions with school leaders.
