Majority Republicans in the House have pledged to implement "Gov. Ted Strickland's School Funding Solution."

The governor says he's amused when he reads a comment like that from the House budget briefing document released last week. It depicts Strickland's education budget as his plan to fix school funding, when he has made it clear he is still developing that plan.

"Let's just put it this way: The name of our softball team out of the governor's office is SB1," Strickland said. "Some people think that stands for 'Softball 1."

Actually, it refers to the House and Senate leaders' announcement earlier this year that they were reserving House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1 for Strickland's school-funding plan.

"They can enjoy themselves, and I'll try to accept it in good humor," Strickland said.

The Democratic governor repeatedly has said his two-year state budget proposal includes only a first step toward fixing Ohio's school-funding system and is not the education reform he pledged during his campaign for governor last year.

But House Republicans don't see it that way. From their perspective, the governor's budget plan is a ringing endorsement of the school-funding formula they implemented two years ago.

"He can couch it in whatever terms he wants," said Rep. Kevin DeWine of Fairborn, the deputy chairman of the Ohio Republican Party.

"What I know is he has essentially embraced the framework the legislature passed two years ago, modified the formula very (little), put additional money in that would have been about the same amount we would have put in anyway, and called it his."

Noting an unprecedented absence of opposition from education groups during hearings before a budget subcommittee, DeWine said, "Maybe all they needed was for a Democratic governor to introduce it. If that's all it took to be constitutional, then I'm for it."

Strickland said the rhetoric may be an attempt to put him in a political corner because he has declared that he will be a failed governor if he doesn't address school funding.

Educators say they are satisfied with the governor's budget proposal regarding primary and secondary funding, but like Strickland, they don't see it as a long-term fix.

"The governor's (budget) proposal is for the short-term," said Akron Superintendent Sylvester Small.

He and other urban school leaders were in Columbus last week lobbying lawmakers to support the governor's budget, particularly his call to eliminate a statewide voucher program and ban for-profit companies from operating charter schools, which they say drain millions from their budgets.

House Republicans, however, reinstated the school-choice programs in their version of the state budget. They left the rest of Strickland's education plan unchanged.

Toledo school Superintendent John Foley said he supports Strickland's education budget and is eager to see his long-term reform plan. Strickland has set no timetable for the long-term plan.

Foley's district, like several other urban ones, is backing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the State Board of Education to determine how much the state should pay in per-pupil aid. Supporters are collecting signatures to put the plan before voters Nov. 6.

Sam Dorto, president of the Canton Professional Educators Association, said he's encouraged by efforts by both the governor and the coalition.

"The governor wants to try and fix school funding (through the legislative process) and the constitutional amendment puts pressure on the legislature," he said.

Dispatch reporter Jim Siegel contributed to this story.

ccandisky@dispatch.com

mniquette@dispatch.com

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