Week in Review 05-06-2022

FY22-23 BUDGET

Preliminary revenue data released Thursday by the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) for April show the state finished the month $1 billion or 45.6 percent over estimates, bringing in a total of $3.3 billion compared to estimated revenue of nearly $2.3 billion. This excess revenue was driven by personal income tax (PIT) receipts of nearly $894.7 million or 89.2 percent over estimates for April. OBM attributes the large variance to “stronger than anticipated payments from annual tax return filings.” All other major sources of General Revenue Fund dollars were also over estimates. So far, through 10 months of FY22, the state has collected a total of nearly $22.9 billion or 12 percent over the estimated revenue of nearly $20.5 billion. Compared to this time in FY21, the state has collected nearly $2.1 billion more than was collected through April 2021.

EDUCATION

Ohio voters approved 49 of 75 school funding issues on local ballots in Tuesday’s primary, according to preliminary results compiled by the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA). The 65 percent passage rate was very similar to that seen a year prior in the May 2021 primary, when 50 of 73 issues or 68 percent passed. The passage rate for new funding issues dropped, however, with 13 of 34 winning approval, compared to 20 of 40 issues passing in the May 2021 primary.

Teacher pay saw a nominal increase recently but suffered a decline in terms of buying power over the past decade, according to new data from the National Education Association (NEA), which represents teachers unions. The salary findings were among a trove of statistics released by NEA last week across four reports on general education trends and pay for teachers, support professionals and higher education employees.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) said Friday, April 29 it’s granting Gov. Mike DeWine its 2022 Champion for Charter Schools Award, citing “tireless efforts” in support of the schools. The NAPCS cited charter-friendly policies enacted during DeWine’s term. He proposed creation and then expansion of a funding pool for charter schools meeting quality benchmarks across his two budgets, and signed into law the lifting of geographic restrictions on where new startup charter schools can open as well as increased facilities funding for charter schools.

New analysis by economist and school funding expert Howard Fleeter showed the operating and capital levies for schools on the May primary ballot are low compared to trends in recent years. Operating levies were at their lowest point in five years for a primary election, and capital levies at their second lowest, according to Fleeter’s analysis, released by the Ohio Education Policy Institute (OEPI).

With a need to meet demand for the Intel development and societal advances in general, science and technology education must be more approachable and accessible for everyone, Central Ohio leaders in the sciences and transit said at Wednesday’s Columbus Metropolitan Club forum.