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Solon board votes to join statewide school-funding coalition, add district to voucher lawsuit
Summary
At its June 8 meeting the Solon Board of Education approved a resolution authorizing the superintendent to join the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and to participate in an ongoing legal challenge to the state's voucher policy, with trustees saying the move amplifies the district’s concerns about low state funding.
The Solon Board of Education voted June 8 to authorize the superintendent to join the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and to participate in a multijurisdictional legal challenge to state voucher policy.
Superintendent Mr. Balden told trustees the district has long been underfunded by the state and that joining the coalition and the existing voucher lawsuit would allow Solon to add its voice alongside “hundreds of other school districts” advocating for changes to state funding. He said the step followed recent levy campaigning and conversations with community members who flagged the district’s low per-pupil funding compared with state support for private-school vouchers.
Trustee Mrs. Parkdale moved the resolution; it was seconded and approved by roll-call vote. Board members asked few substantive questions during the motion; one trustee framed the action as part of a broader push to take the district’s concerns to Columbus.
Why it matters: The board’s action signals a formal, collective approach to state funding and the voucher system. Participation in the coalition and lawsuit is intended to elevate Solon’s funding concerns in litigation and legislative advocacy, though any financial remedies depend on court outcomes and broader state policy changes.
What’s next: The administration will proceed with the administrative steps needed to join the coalition and coordinate the district’s participation in the lawsuit; trustees did not authorize additional district litigation spending in the recorded discussion and did not set a separate appropriation at the June 8 meeting.
