I am writing to support Gov. Strickland’s proposal to temporarily delay the scheduled income tax rate reduction, and I encourage all legislators, Democrat and Republican, to support the Governor’s proposal in order to find an immediate resolution to our budget crisis.

If we wait for a public vote on VLTs in November 2010 to fill the budget gap, we will be too late to undo the damage done by the drastic cuts in school funding currently being discussed as an alternate solution. Ohio’s public schools face the loss of $851 million in state funds and $1.5 billion in federal stimulus funds — a total loss of $2.3 billion in state and federal aid for our schools.

In the South-Western City Schools District, that means the loss of $23.7 million in state and federal funding over the biennium, forcing larger class sizes, severely curtailed academic programs, and further staff reductions.

Ohio’s sweeping education reforms to prepare students for success in the 21st Century will amount to nothing more than wasted effort if we cannot adequately fund our public educational system. We must all work together to solve the current budget crisis to ensure high quality educational opportunities for all of our children throughout the state.

Angela Ash
Grove City High School
Grove City