Advocacy Alert Update 1.31.17

Governor Kasich released his blue book for the upcoming 2018-2019 biennial budget. While education funding overall increased by 1.2% in FY2018 and 1.4% in FY2019, the small amount of direct funding for gifted education, $3.8 million for gifted units that were allocated to educational service centers (ESCs), appears to be elminated. Given that ESCs are largely responsible for providing gifted services to rural districts, whose gifted students are least well-served in the state, this will be a huge blow. Gifted advocates will need to convince our friends in the House and Senate, that gifted unit funding is still very much needed in Ohio, and, in fact, should be increased. It is possible that the units will be included in another part of the budget language when the actual bill comes out so gifted advocates should wait to talk to their representatives until the actual bill language is released. The governor’s budget can be accessed at http://www.oagc.com/files/FY18-19_Budget_Recommendations.blue.book.1.30.17.pdf