After years of editorials from big city newspapers decrying rural Ohio schools’ efforts to get a funding system that is equitable for all students, a major newspaper has finally joined the choir.

Tuesday, July 11, 2000

After years of editorials from big city newspapers decrying rural Ohio schools’ efforts to get a funding system that is equitable for all students, a major newspaper has finally joined the choir.

The Dayton Daily News published a study this past weekend revealing what most of the more than 600 members of the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding already know – districts with low poverty wealth depend more heavily on state funding and tend to perform worse on the report cards the state uses to measure school performance.

Well, it’s about time.

The newspaper did not take an editorial stand – at least not in connection with this article. This was a news report of findings of a rather intricate study of Ohio’s system of funding schools and what it means in terms of educational quality.

No editorializing here, just the facts. And, those findings are rather straight-forward – funding (and where it comes from) does make a difference.

Maybe this study will be just what legislators need to finally get something done to make sure that all Ohio students have an equal chance at an education.

They haven’t been listening to southern Ohio school administrators, teachers, students and parents. Maybe they will listen to the Dayton Daily News.