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Loveland Lobbying

Updates

The Ohio Senate passed its version of the budget bill in mid-June. The bill is better for Loveland City Schools than the House version of the budget, but there are new concerns for our district related to House Bill 335. HB335 would slash funds for public schools and communities across Ohio through a major change to property tax laws. If approved, Loveland City School District would lose nearly $6 million per year in funding, and the City of Loveland would lose more than $1.6 million. You can learn more by watching the "Urgent Legislative Update" video on this page. The District and City issued a joint news release on this issue, which you can read by following this link. Please continue to contact state lawmakers and share your thoughts. The contact sheet on this page has been updated to include the members of the Conference Committee, who are making the final edits to the budget bill. 

The Ohio House passed its version of the budget bill in early April. That version of the bill protects "the guarantee" and heads off the most serious funding threat for Loveland City Schools and similar districts. Now the Ohio Senate is working on the budget, and more changes could be made. 

We have updated our lobbying priorities and the flyer, and we ask our community to continue reaching out to state lawmakers. It's important lawmakers and Governor DeWine receive messages from as many people in our community as possible, and that they receive repeated messages throughout the budget process from now until the budget bill is signed at the end of June. 

Loveland Lobbying Flyer

Loveland Lobbying Flyer that includes statistics about per-pupil expenditures and revenues and data comparing Loveland's spending to other Ohio districts.

Who To Contact

List of legislators

What to Say?

Here are some suggestions for what to include in your phone calls, emails, and letters to state lawmakers:

  • Your name
  • Your role (parent, student, staff member, community member) in the Loveland City School District. 
  • Your story (explain why you support Loveland City Schools, your family’s experience with Loveland City Schools, and why you are concerned about funding cuts for our district. Make it clear that decisions about funding impact children and communities.)
  • Your request (for example: protect the “guarantee” because reducing it would hurt funding for our district, ensure state funding keeps pace with inflation, and remove the cash balance provision)
  • Your appreciation (thank them for their work in Columbus and their attention to this issue that is important to you and our community.)

We suggest you write an email message to lawmaker, then use that message as a script for a phone call. The message can then be printed and mailed to lawmakers for an additional contact point. 

It is also important the lawmakers and the Governor receive messages throughout the budget process between now and June 30, 2025. 

Loveland Lobbying Request

Ohio lawmakers are working on the state's next two-year budget. The budget proposal from Governor Mike DeWine in February 2025 lays out changes to public school funding that would hurt the Loveland City School District. Specifically, the reduction in "guarantee" funds would reduce state funding for Loveland by about $2.5 million during the Five-Year Forecast. 

Through our Strategic Vision process, Community Advisory Team, and State School Funding Committee,  our community has asked district leadership to advocate for solutions to Loveland's unique state funding challenges. The lobbying flyer on this page presents important comparative statistics about Loveland City School District revenue, expenditures, and staffing levels to make it clear our district is achieving great results at below-average costs. 

The Loveland City School District Board of Education, Superintendent, and Treasurer have discussed the district's needs with local lawmakers, and now, they are providing information to community members and asking you to amplify the request. Please consider calling, emailing, and sending a letter to members of the General Assembly. A list of Loveland-area lawmakers and members of the House and Senate Education Committees is included on this page. 

We recommend that your messages be respectful and student-focused, and if you agree with the lobbying priorities identified by the district, please include them.
 

Loveland's Lobbying Priorities: 

  • Protect the "Guarantee" - if the guarantee were to be eliminated, Loveland would suffer a catastrophic loss of $25 million in state funding over the next four years. The governor's suggested reductions in the guarantee will mean a loss of about $2.5 million.
  • Ensure state funding keeps pace with inflation - Inflation is projected at 2.3% and we are requesting that state funding increase at or near the same rate during the two-year budget. Failure to increase state funding in line with inflation shifts more of the burden for public education to local taxpayers.
  • Remove the cash balance provision - Limits on carry-over balances will have unintended consequences for school districts and create more confusion for local taxpayers. We request that the state study the issue and consider separate legislation regarding cash balances. 

Why Get Involved?

Public education in Ohio is a shared state and local responsibility. State funding flows to public school districts from a variety of sources, including income taxes and lottery profits. Property taxes paid by homeowners are the primary source of local funds for Loveland City Schools. A reduction in state funding for Loveland City School District means more reliance on local taxes, which could mean larger, more frequent property tax levy requests to fund our schools.