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Louisiana teachers' union concerned about educators' future; Supreme Court hears arguments in Trump immunity case; Court issues restraining order against fracking waste-storage facility; Landmark NE agreement takes a proactive approach to CO2 pipeline risks.

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Speaker Johnson accuses demonstrating students of getting support from Hamas. TikTok says it'll challenge the ban. And the Supreme Court dives into the gray area between abortion and pregnancy healthcare, and into former President Trump's broad immunity claims

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken, and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Special Election: 35 Ohio Schools Look to Voters for Funding

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Tuesday, August 7, 2012   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - School districts across Ohio continue trying to figure out ways to stretch their strapped budgets, and today some are going directly to the voters. There are 35 school issues on the ballot for today's special election, with the majority of those seeking new tax increases.

The state's school funding formula relies heavily on property taxes, and the director of legislative services with the Ohio School Board Association (OSBA), Damon Ashbury, says it's becoming increasingly difficult for districts to pass levies. He says more economically-advantaged communities tend to have an edge.

"It's very, very difficult for the less-advantaged school districts to provide the same quality programming to attract teachers, administrators, provide programs ... So it is a struggle."

Renewals of school tax measures typically have a better passage rate than new issues, according to Jeff Chambers, who is director of communications with the OSBA.

"One of the reasons I think districts go on the ballot in August is because they need to. They need funds to maintain the programs they have in place, and they can’t wait until November to have that issue voted on."

Damon Ashbury says the real challenge is getting residents to understand that expenditures in education represent an investment in the future.

"Young people are indeed our future and, to the extent that they are short-changed in the quality of education they receive over the long term, it has higher costs for all of us."

He says it's also been a struggle for the state in terms of the support it can provide as it tries to keep up with rising costs.

State leaders are conducting a series of hearings around Ohio, examining what the state's new school funding system should look like, and some new proposals are expected next summer.

Specific district info is available at www.sos.state.oh.us.




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