Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that he’s cutting $775 million from the state budget in the next two months because of plummeting state revenue due to the pandemic.
The budget reductions includes $355 million for schools and $110 million for higher education.
On Wednesday, the state identified how much money each school district and university would lose as part of the budget cuts.
“This rain is not a passing spring shower,” DeWine said. “It could be a long, cold, lingering storm.”
In Adams County, the Ohio Valley Local School District will receive a $531,738.00 reduction, which is a $143 per pupil reduction. In the Manchester Local School District, there will be a $178,418.00 reduction, amounting to a $218 per pupil reduction. The cuts most likely will not have large impacts on either district, especially since the Ohio Valley School District is flush with cash. The district is currently estimated to have a nearly $19 million cash balance. In fact, the district has more cash than nearly all districts in the area. The Manchester Local School District has a $5.7 million cash balance.
The state went from running $200 million ahead in revenue estimates in February to the nearly three-quarter billion drop last month.
The governor said he’s not tapping Ohio’s $2.7 billion rainy day fund until the new fiscal year beginning in July. The budget can be balanced now with cuts, and the rainy day money will be needed later this year and next, he said.
In addition to education, the budget slashing includes $210 million from the state Medicaid program, which provides health care for low income Ohioans.
