Some Cincinnati Public schools will be winners and others will lose out if officials choose to make local school funding more equitable within the district.

        Historically, some specialty “magnet"' schools — like the School for Creative and Performing Arts and Shroder Paideia — have received up to 43 percent more local money per student than neighborhood high schools like Western Hills or Aiken.

        Some Board of Education members and school officials are calling for an end to that practice.

        “These are recommendations for greater equity and we are proud to make them,” Superintendent Dr. Steven Adamowski said.

        The president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, however, said the decision could anger constituents who were told last year that funding for magnet schools would not be reduced if they passed a 6-mill levy in November.

        “The district said it was going to bring neighborhood funding up to the level of magnets,” Sue Taylor said. “Under this proposal, you have schools taking losses.”

        The school administration's attempt to equalize local school funding comes the same week the Ohio Supreme Court issued a historic ruling on the constitutionality of the way the state of Ohio funds schools.

        Under a new district proposal the administration presented last week.

        • All high schools next school year would receive the same base funding for every student.

        • Schools would receive 5 percent extra funding per student from the district for students who are considered poor.

        • Elementary schools will receive an additional 20 percent for students in grades kindergarten through 3 so school officials can hire more teachers and reduce class sizes.

        • Schools also would receive additional funding for special-education students.

        • Per pupil funding for vocational education will be reduced.

        Cincinnati Public Schools three years ago adopted student-based budgeting, which allocates a set amount of money for every student in a given school. However, some schools with specialty programs — such as magnet schools that draw students from across the district — kept their higher funding when the new system was adopted.

        Those schools simply received more money per student, which is wrong, said Aiken High School Principal Thomas Higgins.

        As a neighborhood high school, Aiken last year received 43 percent less money per student than schools like Shroder Paideia, Clark Montessori, Jacobs High School and SCPA. For example, the base student funding at Aiken last year was $4,437, while students at Shroder Paideia received $5,858.

        Shroder Principal Raymond Spicher said schools with special programs — like Paideia programs that focus on teaching students critical thinking — cost more to run than other schools.

        “Paideia programs call for extra teachers to serve as coaches,” Mr. Spicher said. “This would cause us to have to cut those programs.”

        The administration said the board will have to consider whether to offer additional money to certain schools with special programs.

        “We can document why Paideia has a higher cost and we can document why SCPA has a higher cost,” Dr. Adamowski said. “The question remains, should we do it?”

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