By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Board of Education member Tracy Hovest warned she was going to be on her soapbox for a bit at Tuesday evening’s board meeting.
She wasn’t alone. Hovest was joined by the school treasurer, and parents of current students and BGHS graduates – all concerned about public schools being undermined and shortchanged at the federal and state levels.
“I’m pretty enraged by the recent attacks on public education at both the state and federal levels,” Hovest said. “These attacks on public education do not sit right with me as a school board member, a parent, a teacher, or an advocate for all children.”
The district’s pipeline tax revenue is at risk under the “business-friendly” Ohio Senate Bill 116, which would drastically reduce the tangible personal property tax assessment rate for pipeline companies – slashing the rate from 88% to 25%.
“This is a dire assault on the resources that can help fund not only BGCS, but 107 school districts across Ohio,” Hovest said.
At the same time, there still is no resolution to Rover Pipeline’s fight to pay the existing tax it owes Bowling Green City Schools.
“We cannot rely on pipeline monies as a stable, dependable source of funding for our district and the reason we had pipeline monies filtered into the capital improvement fund,” she said. “Legislators have demonstrated their willingness to manipulate tax structures and to prioritize corporate interests over the needs of our students.”
That leaves the burden resting with local communities, she said.
The recent cuts to the Ohio budget for public schools, and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education show a pattern of legislative decisions that undermine the providing of a quality education, according to Hovest.
“These decisions by the government on our most vulnerable population are reprehensible and should cause an uproar among constituents,” Hovest said. “Ohio public schools rely on more than $3 billion in federal funding a year to help meet the needs of every student, pay for school meals, train educators and more. Cutting these funds would hurt Ohio kids, our BG kids, and force communities to choose between increasing taxes and underfunding schools.”
Hovest questioned the race for economic growth at the expense of children’s education.
“Our children are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They are our future,” she said. “And we have a moral obligation to provide them with the tools they need to succeed.”
Later in the meeting, it was school Treasurer Matt Feasel’s turn on the soapbox, sharing the funding cuts planned in Ohio for public schools.
“Unfortunately the legislators just don’t understand that education is a priority,” Feasel said. “It’s devastating for the districts throughout the state.”
At the same time, state funding for vouchers to private and parochial schools is increasing. Rick Busselle, whose two children graduated from BGHS, noted that the state vouchers are paying private schools more than public schools receive.
The state voucher program siphons off $6,200 for K-8 students, and $8,400 for high school students, Busselle said.
Proponents claim vouchers help low income families, he said. But 39% of the families using vouchers have annual incomes higher than $140,000.
Wood County’s state legislators – Rep. Haraz Ghanbari and Sen. Theresa Gavarone – have both voted for more funding for vouchers, he added. That leads to local voters being asked to shoulder more education costs.
“We shouldn’t be shocked when we’re asked to make up the difference,” Busselle said.
Also at the meeting, Jennifer Waldron talked about people in the community who view the cuts proposed for Bowling Green schools as a “threat.” She pointed out that the decision to cut 29 jobs, athletics and other extracurriculars was made by the school board when they had no other options.
“It is the stark reality of our situation,” Waldron said.
A district that offers students a wide range of academic opportunities and extracurricular experiences benefits the entire community – and is a responsibility of the whole community, she said.
“Strong schools are a foundation of a thriving community,” Waldron said.
Superintendent Ted Haselman shared those thoughts, saying the cuts will go into effect if the operating levy on May 6 does not pass.
“They have already been approved,” Haselman said of the cuts. “That’s the only way to balance the budget should the levy fail.”
Parent Ryan Phipps shared at the meeting that he has been questioned about why the district asked voters for a new high school if additional operating funds were necessary. Phipps said he answers by explaining that the school district has consistently communicated the need for additional operating funds and for new facilities.
“The need for new operating funds has been outlined often, including in the district’s annual ‘Five-Year Forecasts,’ required by the State of Ohio,” he said.
Phipps also pointed out that the community has been involved in planning for new buildings for more than a decade.
“It’s important to remember that the district had to ask district residents to support a new high school five times before they received a ‘yes,’” he said.
Even with the new high school property tax – Bowling Green district residents pay lower school district taxes than almost every other district in Wood County, Phipps said.
“I am convinced that the only way for the district to continue providing the same level of services to students, their families, and our community is to increase operating dollars,” he said.
