Senator Sawyer Appointed to School Funding Advisory Council

Columbus - On Thursday, October 29th, Senator Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) was appointed to the School Funding Advisory Council by Senate President Bill Harris. The Council was created by Governor Ted Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly as a part of the education reforms in the recent biennial budget bill, House Bill 1.

“I am pleased to serve on the School Funding Advisory Council,” said Senator Sawyer. “We have finally created a system where each school child can have a reasonable expectation of a thorough and efficient education no matter where they attend school, and this Council will be vital in maintaining that promise. I look forward to the work that lies ahead.”

The budget reforms include a bold transformation of the school funding system that had previously been ruled unconstitutional four times by the Ohio Supreme Court. This funding system is being replaced by the Ohio Evidence Based Model, a system that determines the cost of funding education based on adequacy and need. It is the School Funding Advisory Council’s duty to continuously review and improve these reforms going forward. Embedded in permanent law, the Council will help ensure ongoing comprehensive school reform rather than the traditional hit and miss reform efforts of the past.

Having a deep passion for the elevation of education policy and the stabilization of school funding throughout his entire career – first as an educator, and through the last four decades as an elected official – Senator Sawyer brings both history and expertise to the Council.

William Phillis, Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, was pleased with the appointment. “Senator Tom Sawyer’s appointment to the 28-member Ohio School Funding Advisory Council is encouraging to those of us who have an ongoing intense interest in improving the funding of public schools. Senator Sawyer’s long career in elected positions at the local, state, and federal levels, positions him to be a great asset to the council’s deliberations. His vast experience in public education policy issues and his total commitment to high quality education opportunities for all school children make him an extremely valuable addition to the notable advisory council,” said Dr. Phillis.