10/16/2026
For decades, Ohio was a leader in public education. In 1990, national rankings placed our schools among the best in the country, reaching as high as #3 in key performance metrics. Fast forward to today, and Ohio has slipped down the ladder to #30.
Our students, teachers, and communities didn't change, our state leadership's priorities did.
The state has a constitutional obligation to fix this and that doesn’t mean asking working families for higher taxes. It means having legislators in Columbus who prioritize our kids, our workforce, and our state's future when writing the budget.
There is a frequent misconception that the reason we are in this crisis is because local districts are mismanaging funds. While every system has room for improvement, public school finances are transparent, public record, and scrutinized more than almost any other industry. Ohio schools have gotten very good at counting and saving pennies.
This funding crisis is a statewide issue and not unique to any one particular local school district. The state's share of the cost to educate has dropped from roughly 45% down to 32%. As state leadership hands out corporate tax breaks that drain revenue, the financial burden is continually shifted directly onto local taxpayers.
Why Invest in Education?
1️⃣ We build stronger local economies: Businesses want to set up shop in places with top-tier schools, and young people choose to stay, raise families, and build careers here.
2️⃣ We build our future workforce: Today's students are tomorrow's nurses, technicians, first responders, and local business owners.
3️⃣ We build safer, healthier communities: Quality education directly correlates with lower crime rates and better long-term public health outcomes.
Public education is the single best economic development tool Ohio has. It’s time for leadership in Columbus that puts our schools first.