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Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025
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Schools await meaning of ‘fair’ Carissa Woytach The Community Guide
While Ohio looks to fully implement the Fair School Funding Plan in the upcoming budget cycle, several Lorain County schools may lose state money in the process. Of the 14 public school districts in Lorain County, only a handful would see a boon in funds from the governor’s funding proposal, according to an analysis released by the nonpartisan Legislative Service
Commission. Statewide, Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget would spend $23.4 billion over two years on education and fully fund the final phases of the Fair School Funding Plan first implemented in 2021. But that plan would also see students in Ohio’s traditional public schools lose funding while more is funneled to vouchers programs and community schools. Funding is based on 2024-25 school year enrollment numbers.
That $23.4 billion in funding is a $606 million increase compared to the current fiscal year, Howard Fleeter, a consultant for the Ohio Education Policy Institute said. His analysis of the legislation included a breakdown of how the state plans to fund traditional public schools and other entities in the governor’s budget. While the Fair School Funding Plan was initiated in 2021 to provide more equitable funding for school districts and rectify a
nearly 30-year-old court ruling that found Ohio school funding was too reliant on local property taxes, the implementation of the final phases in the governor’s proposal has caused some concern. Fleeter broke down the funding formula, complicated in its own right, into two main parts — an adequacy component determining how much money each district receives based on the base cost provided by enrollment and additional dollars tied to
See FUNDING, A2
... and try to figure out DEI memo Carissa Woytach The Community Guide
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAUREN SZABO
Cheers for the champion Comets The Amherst High School cheerleading squads have brought home more trophies this year, including the State Championship title for the second year in a row for its Division ll Game Day Non-Building team. The other squad, the Division ll Traditional Non-Building team came home as runner ups. The Game Day team finished the season undefeated in Ohio, with six first-place finishes and three Grand Champion titles. At the Ohio Athletic Commitee competition on Jan. 12, they beat 37 other teams -- including Dl, Dll, Dlll building and non-building teams -- for the Grand Champion title. Coaches Lauren Szabo and Emily Forster hold the hardware at right.
As the Trump administration moves to strip diversity, equity and inclusion programming from public K-12 schools, colleges and universities, educators in Lorain County await further guidance from federal authorities. Last week the U.S. Department of Education issued a memo for schools and universities to end “racial preferences” as factors in admissions, financial aid, hiring and other areas, giving schools two weeks to end any practice that gives differential treatment to students or staff based on race. The memo threatened to withhold federal funding from institutions that fail to comply. “With this guidance, the Trump administration is directing schools to end the use of racial preferences and race stereotypes in their programs and activities — a victory for justice, civil rights laws, and the Constitution,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said. “For decades, schools have been operating on the pretext that selecting students for ‘diversity’ or similar euphemisms is not selecting them based on race. No longer. Students should be assessed according to merit, accomplishment, and character — not prejudged by the color of their skin.” The memo is an extension of President Donald Trump’s previous executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs hours into his second term as president. In Lorain County, Oberlin College, a private institution, previously came under scrutiny while Trump and then-Senator JD Vance were on the campaign trail for concerns it may defy a Supreme Court ruling on college admissions.
Black History Month celebration: Honor roots, celebrate future munity members, all reflecting the theme of “honoring LORAIN — Over 50 our roots, celebrating our people crowded into Harfuture.” rison Cultural Community “When we talk about Centre on Saturday morning standing on the shoulders for a Black History Month of giants, we don’t have celebration. to look far,” said keynote The day included benespeaker Parris Smith, who dictions, reminders to is Lorain County Urban stay politically active and League CEO. “In Lorain celebrations of valued com- County, we have been Richard Perrins The Community Guide
blessed with trailblazers who have shaped our community, our state and our nation.” One of the trailblazers Smith was referring to, longtime community advocate Sally Peoples, was recognized on Saturday morning with a video tribute and proclamations. Peoples, who worked
throughout her life on community initiatives in Lorain and sat on Harrison Cultural Community Centre’s board until she retired last year, was presented with bouquets of flowers and two proclamations — one from Harrison and one read by Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley that declared Feb. 22, 2025, as Sally Peoples Day in the
city. “Thank you, Sally, for being a beacon of service and an inspiration to us all,” center board member Rhonda Pettie said after recognizing Peoples. Bradley kneeled in front of Peoples’ chair to be on her level as he read the city’s proclamation. “In this time of trouble in
our country, we need strong individuals in our community who we can follow and who can lead us,” Bradley said. “She deserves recognition.” For Smith, celebrating the future of Black people in Lorain means remembering the past and refusing to give up putting effort into advocacy.
INSIDE THIS WEEK Son saves mom stabbing
Orchids on display
Wellington ends season
Man sentenced to 10 years. A5
Through March at Botanical Garden. Ae
Both boys and girls lose on court. A6
SPORTS A6 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8