Starting in fiscal year 2010, under Governor Ted Strickland's evidence-based Education Reform and Funding Plan, over the next ten years, Ohio will phase in funding for licensed librarian and media specialists in Ohio's schools. For each Organizational unit as defined in Section 3306.04 of HB 1, $60,000 will be phased in for "The licensed librarian and media specialist factor." The organizational units will be determined by dividing the number of students in the district by grade levels (418 students in grades K-5, 557 in grades 6-8 and 733 in grades 9-12). In smaller school districts the number of organizational units is one unit; each district will have at least one organizational unit regardless of the formula ADM.
 

 

On Monday, July 13, the Ohio Legislature's Conference Committee http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_HB_1 voted to accept HB1 as voted on by Ohio's House of Representatives http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText128/128_HB_1_RH_N.html. In Sec. 3306.10. (A), lines 41188 through 41207 are based on Governor Ted Strickland's Evidence-Based Education Reform and Funding Plan http://www.iuc-ohio.org/pdf/strickland_plan.pdf.

Sec. 3306.10.
(A) The technology resources support component of the adequacy amount for each city, local, and exempted village school district is the sum of the following:
(1) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor;
(2) The technical equipment factor.
(B)(1) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor shall be calculated by multiplying the number of the district's organizational units times $60,000.
(2) The technical equipment factor shall be calculated by multiplying the district's formula ADM times $250.
(C) The licensed librarian and media specialist factor and the technical equipment factor for each city, local, and exempted village school district shall be adjusted by multiplying the calculated amounts by 0.20 in fiscal year 2010, by 0.30 in fiscal year 2011, by 0.40 in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, by 0.60 in fiscal years 2014 and 2015, and by 0.80 in fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
(D) Each school district shall account separately for the amounts received for technology resources support under this section and report that information to the department of education.

 

Thank you to everyone who wrote emails, wrote letters, and called legislative offices to explain the importance of School Library Media Specialists in Ohio's schools. Your persistence has paid off!

Marie and Deb

Marie Sabol                                          Deb Logan
2009 OELMA President                         Advocacy Co-Chair


on behalf of
Sue Subel                                           Kathy Fredrick
Advocacy Co-Chair                              Advocacy Co-Chair

 

Kathy Halsey                                       Vicki Schmarr
Past President                                     Past President