On Thursday, the Ohio Supreme Court ended a decade-long fight over how schools are funded when it ordered the case closed in a 4-3 decision. Here are some questions being asked around the state and Cincinnati one day after the ruling:

        QUESTION: Did the Ohio Supreme Court say how much the state should spend on education?

ANSWER: The opinion did not give a specific amount. However, Chief Justice Thomas Moyer said Friday he originally estimated the state would have to spend $400 million more on schools.

        Q: What has the state already spent?

A: Since the school funding lawsuit began in 1991, state aid to schools has increased from $4 billion in 1992 to $7.5 billion this fiscal year. The $7.5 billion includes the first half of a two-year $1.4 billion school funding reform plan lawmakers passed in May.

        Q: How much does the state still need to spend?

A: The Supreme Court decision orders changes in a formula lawmakers created to determine a per-student cost figure believed necessary for an adequate education. Estimates for how much those changes will cost range from $400 million to $1.24 billion.

        Q: Why is it so difficult to determine a cost figure?

        A: The funding formula is extremely complex.

        It is based on the spending patterns of 120 Ohio school districts that met at least 20 of 27 state standards for academic achievement.

        Not included were many of the wealthiest schools that met those 20 standards. Lawmakers did include some schools that met only 18 or 19 standards. The formula used 1996 spending data for many of the schools while using 1999 estimates for others.

        The justices ruled that each of these steps helped lower the state's cost to $4,814 per student. They ordered lawmakers to eliminate them.

        An estimate of the revised formula that justices used shows the state spend ing $5,133 per student at a cost between $400 million to $500 million to the state. Senate Republicans say the per-student figure would surpass $5,400 and a total cost of $1.24 billion.

        The question now is, whose math is right?

        Q: When will lawmakers know?

        A: Gov. Bob Taft gave a two-week time frame Friday for officials to get together and agree on a cost estimate.

        Q: What is the next deadline in the case?

        A: Instead of a deadline, the court said the new funding must be retroactive to July 1, 2001, the beginning of the current fiscal year. That means the state is more than two months behind paying schools what the Supreme Court says they are owed.

        Q: How will the state system be funded?

        A: Money can be raised through further budget cuts, by eliminating tax credits or exemptions, spending down the state's rainy day fund, or by raising taxes. Mr. Taft and legislative leaders have promised no broad tax increases.

        Q: What does it mean for CPS?

        A: CPS officials think the new school funding formula treated them unfairly because it weighed the district's high property values more than its high number of impoverished students. If more money is placed in that formula, that problem doesn't necessarily disappear.

        Q: What does it mean for wealthy suburban districts?

        A: Many wealthy suburban districts received marginal state increases. It's possible they will get some more funding, but just how much may not be known for months until an agreement is reached.

        Q: What does it mean for poor rural districts?

        A: The school funding decision is intended to benefit these districts most in an effort to narrow the gap between Ohio's rich and poor schools. How much each district gets will depend upon the final version of the plan.

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