Parents of Clark Montessori school students came out in force Monday to plead with the Cincinnati Public Schools board of education not to drastically reduce funding for their school.

        “It's because of the support we have received that has enabled us to get the type of results we are getting,” said Ernest E. Thompson of North Avondale, who was one of more than 50 Clark parents at Monday's meeting.

        “We are very concerned the board has recommended to take some of our funding away. We think the board should be adding funding.”

        The district on Monday released the most recent of several proposals to change how the district distributes funding to its individual schools. Officials stressed the funding proposal is still under review and there will be two more public meetings to discuss it.

        Under the new proposal, several schools such as Clark Montessori — a magnet high school in Hyde Park — could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars that would likely be phased in over several years.

        Others could gain thousands or, such as Walnut Hills High School, millions of dollars, depending on which funding proposal the board of education adopts before the year's end.

        “It is almost impossible to do a scenario without some schools having their budgets changed in a negative way,” said school board member Lynn Marmer.

        In addition to a base amount for every student, the district proposes giving schools an extra allocation for:

        • Students who are gifted (37 percent more per student).

        • Students in grades kindergarten to third (20 percent more per student).

        • Students in grades 9-12 (20 percent more per student).

        • Students who take vocational education (60 percent more per student).

        • Students who take English as a second language courses (47 percent more per student).

        • Students in special education classes (varied increases).

        • Students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches (5 percent more per student).

        In the past, Clark Montessori students, for example, have received as much as 43 percent more per student than students at Withrow High, also in Hyde Park. Clark, which has about 500 students, could lose more than $400,000 under the new proposal.

        Now, some district officials are trying to make funding more equitable across the district so schools such as Withrow and Clark don't receive such divergent

        amounts for their students.

        They made a step in that direction this year by increasing the money to neighborhood schools.

        Whittier Elementary Principal Dominick Ciolino said the extra money made a big impact. The school was able to use the money to increase its reading tutor program from one full-time certified teacher and several uncertified tutors to four full-time certified teachers and two certified part-time teachers, said teacher tutor Myrna Houston.

        “We have to bring up our test scores,” Ms. Houston said. “We'll be better able to do that this year with the teacher tutors.”

        The proposals, showing which schools stand to gain or lose, are available on the dis trict's Web site at: www.cpsboe.k12.oh.us /general/Finances/PerPupil.htm.

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