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Board member urges district work session to craft career-tech funding story ahead of state budget
Summary
Board member Jamie Schatzman urged the board to convene a work session before mid-April to consolidate the district's five-year forecast, facility plans and career-technical priorities and to present a clear case to state legislators during the biennial budget process.
In a legislative update at the March 10 meeting, board member Jamie Schatzman urged the Willoughby-Eastlake board to prepare a focused work session to present the district's funding needs — particularly for career-technical education — to state lawmakers before key budget deadlines in April.
Schatzman explained the two primary inputs to Ohio’s fair school funding formula: the state’s measure of a district’s relative wealth and the cost inputs that estimate how much it costs to educate a student. She said the cost inputs used in the current formula date to 2022 while property valuations have been updated to 2024, producing an imbalance in state funding. "We’re looking at 2022 cost inputs alongside of the most recent 2024 property value data," Schatzman said, calling for the district to tell a fuller story about how it would invest any added funds.
Schatzman and Superintendent Dr. Ward proposed a work session before April 15 to review the five-year forecast, facility assessment, and career-technical (CTE) plans so the district could present a concrete, costed plan to legislators, including state representatives and the head of Senate Finance. Schatzman said the district has prioritized career-technical work — including middle-level immersion hubs — and has been discussing partnerships with county and state officials as well as local legislators.
Board members supported the idea and asked staff to identify a few possible dates; the board discussed weeknights or a Saturday session to accommodate schedules. Several board members said the district should include utility and insurance cost pressures — which staff reported during the meeting — as part of the funding story so leaders can show both need and planned use of funds.
Schatzman said staff would collect facilities-assessment information and community-survey results to inform the work session. The board did not take any formal action at the meeting beyond agreeing to schedule the session and to send availability to the board secretary.
The timeline: testimony on the biennial budget was ongoing in March; omnibus amendments and House floor action were anticipated in March–April, with further Senate consideration afterward. Schatzman recommended finalizing the district’s presentation before April to influence early budget amendments.
