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[VIDEO] Loveland parents and children rally on Col. Thomas Paxton bridge for fair school funding

Apr 3, 2025

Loveland, Ohio – Becca Moates and Cindy Daumeyer were on Loveland’s Col. Thomas Paxton bridge Wednesday evening along with many supports to send a message to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and State legislators. The message was to urge the lawmakers to fully fund Ohio’s Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) for public schools. They say that if the plan isn’t fully funded, the Loveland City School District may lose $2.5 million over the next five years. The FSFP is commonly referred to as the Cupp-Patterson plan. Backers are urging the full completion of its phase-in.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, pointed out the potential effect on public schools, which he said serve 95% of Ohio students. He told the Public News Service in late March, “The governor has proposed a budget that would cut public schools by over $100 million, while at the same time increasing funding for vouchers for private schools and charter schools by $500 million. We know that is just absolutely unfair.”

Becca Moates said on March 18 in a guest column published in Loveland Magazine, “The current budget proposal from Governor DeWine leads to lost funds for Loveland schools which will undoubtedly lead to additional revenue requests from the school district. Let’s continue to build the unity we have as community members to support the students who are the heart of our vibrant community.”

In 2021, Governor DeWine signed the Fair School Funding Plan, which was supposed to be implemented three phases to support public school funding in Ohio. Over 90% of children in the State attend public schools. Only 66.67% of the planned funding levels have been implemented. The phase-in was set to reach full funding by fiscal year 2027. Once fully phased in, the FSFP is supposed to provide constitutionally appropriate funding levels for traditional school districts, Career Tech Centers, and Education Service Centers.

Moates also said in her column, “It is time for our legislators to hear from all of us. We need Governor DeWine to endorse a bill that benefits our schools. We need to come together. Write letters, call legislators, and call the Governor.”

DiMauro said that he worries such major shifts in funding could lead to larger class sizes and reduced services in public schools, placing additional burdens on local taxpayers to fill the gaps. He emphasized now is the time for Ohioans who are concerned about the issue and how it might affect their communities to contact their representatives in Columbus.

Who To Contact

Download the list or click below PDF to enlarge.

What to Say?

Here are Moates’ suggestions for what to include in your phone calls, emails, and letters to state lawmakers:

Your name
Your role (parent, student, staff member, community member) in the Loveland City School District.
Your story (explain why you support Loveland City Schools, your family’s experience with Loveland City Schools, and why you are concerned about funding cuts for our district. Make it clear that decisions about funding impact children and communities.)
Your request (for example: protect the “guarantee” because reducing it would hurt funding for our district, fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan with updated inputs, and increase the state share minimum to 20%)
Your appreciation (thank them for their work in Columbus and their attention to this issue that is important to you and our community.)

We suggest you write an email message to lawmaker, then use that message as a script for a phone call. The message can then be printed and mailed to lawmakers for an additional contact point.