For years the courts have said the way we fund schools in Ohio is wrong. 

For years educators have said the way we fund our schools in Ohio is wrong.

 For years, property owners through voice or vote have said the way we fund our schools in Ohio is wrong.

 And opinion writers such as myself for years have written and railed the way we fund our schools in Ohio is wrong.

Little though has been said or written as to a better way to fund our public schools in Ohio.

In fact, while the Ohio Supreme Court on three occasions declared the way our schools are funded to be unconstitutional, in their rather finite wisdom provided no guidance to the governor or General Assembly on how to finance schools in lieu of a property tax.

From the very beginning of public education in the Buckeye State property owners have been called on to foot the bill... pay the costs in other words.

 Ohio public schools came into being in 1825 through an act of the Ohio General Assembly. The General Assembly then decided to fund its public schools through a half-mil property tax.

 Besides property taxes, schools also are financed through bond issues, the Ohio lottery, some federal funds and in some rare cases an income tax. Property owners are called on to fund education through a variety of issues including: Regular operating levy for current expenses, emergency levy, incremental levy, capital improvement levy, replacement levy and permanent improvement levy.

 Again they all hit on the property owner.

It is bad news for the property owner who may have purchased a home with a property tax obligation of $1,000 annually Over a 10- to 15-year period that obligation could rise to $1,500 to $2,000 depending on the valuation of the property and if a majority of voters continue to pass school issues that go beyond renewals.

It all comes down to the property owners shouldering most of the burden even if they have no children in school.

 So property owners are saying “no” more often than “yes” these days. The result has been a deterioration of the public school environment because the budgets are no longer able to coexist amicably with revenues.

That all can change if the funding mechanism is changed. The burdened has to be taken off the property owners and spread around a little more.

Here’s a few ideas:

— Increase the sales tax and mandate that increase only be used for public schools.

— Institute personal property taxes, such as on cars, boats and some furniture with all the revenues going to our public schools.

— Earmark a greater portion of the lottery money and other gambling ventures in Ohio to schools.

— Continue to have property taxes, but at a much lower rate. This would allow some people who are on fixed incomes to remain in their homes. At least in past times quality schools helped to increase the value of property. That is why they should not be dropped altogether.

I agree, none of these ideas are new. 

This maybe new though... at least for public schools: Charge tuition. Although education is mandatory, there is no law that prevents the state from charging tuition. So make it a law.

We already have pay-for-play. Why not have pay-for-education.

 Every family that has children in school would be required to pay tuition, with one exception. People who fall in the poverty class. People who send their children to private or parochial schools or are home-schooling would be given a break on their tuition costs. They should still have to pay some tuition because they receive either funding or some form of public assistance, including transportation and textbooks.

The state would have to step in and assume a greater share of the cost for those districts that are beset with a high rate of poverty. 

The tuition also could be re-labeled as a head tax to make it more palatable to some people. This would allow parents to deduct the head (tuition) tax off their income taxes.

So what do you think? Let me know your ideas for next week’s Opine question of the week.

Frieder is editor of the Star Beacon and can be reached at nfeditor@suite224.net.