Although committed to fixing what he sees as an unconstitutional school-funding system in Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland said yesterday that it?s unreasonable to expect him to do it in his first budget, due next month.

In an interview, Strickland responded to suggestions made this week by House Speaker Jon A. Husted that the new governor would include his fix for school funding in the upcoming twoyear budget.

"I think it may be a little disingenuous for anyone, including the speaker, to assume that less than a month after I assumed this office that I?m going to have a solution to this problem when it has plagued Ohio for more than 10 years," Strickland said.

Strickland, who has scheduled his first State of the State address for March 14, a day before he delivers his state budget to the legislature, said he has started meeting with various stakeholders to craft a legislative solution to school funding. If that fails, he?s committed to seeking a ballot issue.

In a meeting with reporters Tuesday, Husted, R-Kettering, questioned the need for additional study on school funding and said he is waiting to see what Strickland proposes in his budget.

"Is this really an issue that needs to be studied further? I mean, we know what the options are," Husted said. "Look, we want to work with him, don?t get me wrong. But your budget is your document that is the two-year funding system for education."

Strickland said he won?t submit a "purely stagnant or status quo" budget regarding education and is exploring ways to expand support for early-childhood care and education, for example.

But he said he will continue to meet with groups and individuals regarding a long-term approach to school funding separate from his first budget, and that Republicans must be part of the process.

"I?m willing to accept the responsibility that I?m going to have as governor, but ? this is a shared responsibility," he said. "And if the political leadership of the other party is willing to work with me, I am willing to work with them in good faith ? not to try to achieve some kind of political victory or acquire bragging rights."

The governor also said he?s "trying to stay away" from defining education as a fundamental right because he is learning that "it may have particular legal implications."

One of the elements of a proposed state constitutional amendment to overhaul the state?s school-funding system that several groups are seeking is that it would establish a fundamental right to a high-quality public education.

Strickland reiterated that he has not endorsed the proposal because of concerns that have been raised about it, but that he welcomes the effort and attention on the issue.

The proposed ballot measure, meanwhile, cleared another hurdle yesterday when the Ohio Ballot Board voted unanimously to certify it as a single issue.

After the attorney general processes that certification, issue proponents can begin collecting the 402,275 valid signatures needed by Aug. 8 to put it on the November ballot.

Besides guaranteeing a quality education for all children, it would require the Ohio Board of Education to determine the elements and cost of such a system. The General Assembly would then be required to fund it.

The five-member ballot board, led by Secretary of State Jennifer L. Brunner, met yesterday, as required by a new law, to determine whether the 11-section proposal contains a single ballot issue and not multiple subjects.

State Sen. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, said the question was "a close call" but voted to certify the proposal as a single issue. He suggested that the question could be revisited if and when the board meets to certify the ballot language.

Jim Betts, one of the leaders of the groups seeking the proposed amendment, said plans call for holding more than 20 regional meetings across the state during the next month or so.

He hopes to have volunteers in each of Ohio?s 614 school districts circulate petitions, but he reserved the right to hire a professional company to collect names if needed.

Betts said the groups backing the issue have raised a little money so far for the effort but haven?t yet finished a budget.

mniquette@dispatch.com?