Regis Woods Speaks About Ohio Schools
“People don’t understand Ohio’s school structure. The constitution is a big part of the educational structure,” said Regis Woods, retired superintendent of Cambridge City Schools to the Cambridge Lions Club. “The voters elect the legislators who make the laws governing school districts.”
The Constitution of the State of Ohio provides that the General Assembly shall make such provisions… as… will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that Ohio’s disproportional reliance on property taxes was unconstitutional. Subsequent efforts by the legislature led to additional rulings by the court that stated it was up to the legislature to correct the problems.
“Federal regulations also affect Ohio’s schools,” Woods said. “You may be most familiar with the No Child Left Behind law. It is well intended effort by Congress, but they don’t fund it adequately.”
“The Ohio Department of Education is responsible for implementing laws passed by the legislature,” Woods said. “They are required to have a funding plan.”
“The State Board of Education operates much as a local board, but they are responsible for the entire state.”
“We have three kinds of school districts in Ohio,” Woods said. “City school districts have to have a city of at least five thousand people within its boundaries. Local school districts have no city with that many people. A third type of district is the exempted village school district such as Barnesville and Caldwell.”
“The old county boards of education have been replaced by educational service centers,” Woods said. “People used to ask why we had a county superintendent and then local school superintendents. The law required that the centers have at least eight thousand people. These centers can provide specialized services that were difficult for local schools to implement.”
“City school districts do not have to participate in the service centers, but they often enter into agreements with them because it is more cost effective.”
“Students at career centers are enrolled in their individual districts, but attend classes at Mideast or at Zanesville. The career centers provide training that give students additional career opportunities.”
“Charter schools were created by the legislature mainly by Republican legislators who believed that it would increase competition in schools,” Woods said. “They are funded like other schools, but they don’t always have to play by the same rules. Some have been extremely successful, but a great many have not.”
In other club business Jim Caldwell reported that the truck and tractor pull at the county fairgrounds had been a great success.
Guests of the club included members of the Buckeye Trail and Cambridge high school track teams.
The Constitution of the State of Ohio provides that the General Assembly shall make such provisions… as… will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the state.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that Ohio’s disproportional reliance on property taxes was unconstitutional. Subsequent efforts by the legislature led to additional rulings by the court that stated it was up to the legislature to correct the problems.
“Federal regulations also affect Ohio’s schools,” Woods said. “You may be most familiar with the No Child Left Behind law. It is well intended effort by Congress, but they don’t fund it adequately.”
“The Ohio Department of Education is responsible for implementing laws passed by the legislature,” Woods said. “They are required to have a funding plan.”
“The State Board of Education operates much as a local board, but they are responsible for the entire state.”
“We have three kinds of school districts in Ohio,” Woods said. “City school districts have to have a city of at least five thousand people within its boundaries. Local school districts have no city with that many people. A third type of district is the exempted village school district such as Barnesville and Caldwell.”
“The old county boards of education have been replaced by educational service centers,” Woods said. “People used to ask why we had a county superintendent and then local school superintendents. The law required that the centers have at least eight thousand people. These centers can provide specialized services that were difficult for local schools to implement.”
“City school districts do not have to participate in the service centers, but they often enter into agreements with them because it is more cost effective.”
“Students at career centers are enrolled in their individual districts, but attend classes at Mideast or at Zanesville. The career centers provide training that give students additional career opportunities.”
“Charter schools were created by the legislature mainly by Republican legislators who believed that it would increase competition in schools,” Woods said. “They are funded like other schools, but they don’t always have to play by the same rules. Some have been extremely successful, but a great many have not.”
In other club business Jim Caldwell reported that the truck and tractor pull at the county fairgrounds had been a great success.
Guests of the club included members of the Buckeye Trail and Cambridge high school track teams.
Labels: Regis Woods, School, Superintendant
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