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Billions don't end need for financing overhaul

Ohioans are seeing some glitzy leadership.

Gov. Bob Taft has proposed a plan -- part of which is in progress, the rest of which needs legislative approval -- to shape up public school buildings across the state.

As could be seen in the figures reported for area schools in Wednesday's A-T, there is something for every school district in the plan. The lowest amount of state dollars proposed for local districts was $3.35 million for Bettsville; the highest was $25.5 million for Fostoria.

Besides being a golden opportunity for schools to be upgraded, it also is a like opportunity for Taft and legislators to present a program that will serve them well politically for years.

Economic times are good, and 1) the outlook is for the state to be able to afford the $10.2 billion plan, and 2) voters are apt to approve local shares in light of the large amounts of state dollars to be obtained.

But while the leaders in Columbus are basking in the glow of spreading $10 billion across the state -- an effort that will be easy for voters to remember because the results will be bricks and mortar they'll see every day -- consider this. There's a harder task that has been sidestepped.

Handing out billions for buildings does not solve Ohio's problems in funding operations of public schools.

Courageous leadership on that issue could give the state a funding system that would 1) be constitutional and 2) end the never ending struggle within districts to maintain adequate local finances.

For the building plan, we'll give Taft an "A."

On day-to-day school funding, he gets an "incomplete."

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