LISBON — Columbiana County superintendents and district treasurers met with state Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) on Friday at the Educational Services Center to discuss the new two-year state budget proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine.

Cutrona, who serves on the Ohio Senate Education Committee, said the meeting was to hear concerns and keep the lines of communication open with superintendents as state lawmakers consider the budget which includes projected funding cuts proposed by DeWine and what it means for Ohio Schools. The meeting also came on the heels of an executive order signed Thursday by President Donald Trump that effectively eliminated the U.S. Department of Education.

“I met with a dozen or more superintendents and treasurers, and I thought it was very helpful in understanding their concerns and needs,” Cutrona said. “I had been reaching out on individual levels and to keep the dialogue open and met with several as a group today in what I think was a very productive conversation.”

DeWine’s budget includes $23.4 billion for Ohio Schools over two years. It would also fully fund the final phases of the Fair School Funding Plan first implemented in 2021.The Fair Funding Plan overhauled Ohio’s school funding. According to policymatters.org, it calculates the actual cost of educating a child to ensure the state fulfills its constitutional obligation to deliver its fair share of that. The plan was set to be phased in over six years, with the final two in Fiscal Year 2026-27.

The budget, while lauded for funding the final two years of the plan, has not been without its criticism. It is based on 2022 costs with inflation not factored and amounts to a funding cut for schools. Policymatters.org explained that DeWine’s failure to update those costs means the state would be funding public schools at a lower level than it did in 1997.

Public schools have already voiced concern over EDchoice – the voucher system that allows state dollars to be used at private and charter schools, which Ohio lawmakers are considering expanding funding for. The program was meant to broaden educational opportunities for low-income students whose struggling districts failed to meet their educational needs. The EdChoice Exp program allows any Ohio student to use the voucher system.

Cutrona said the open dialogue with local districts will help guide him and other Ohio legislators when it comes to taking action. DeWine’s budget is currently under review with various committees hearing testimony. The Ohio Education committee next meets today at 3 p.m.

As far as Trump’s executive order that sets out to eliminate the Department of Education, Cutrona said there’s a method to what is being unfairly painted as madness as it allows states more control over where education-earmarked money goes.

“I am curious to see what it means and what happens when education funding is sent back to the states,” Cutrona said. “The bulk of the funding already comes at the state level. Schools are funded every two years through the budget we are considering right now. I don’t think [closing the Department of Education] will have any immediate impact on schools. As far as future implications, I am optimistic. Like I said, I am curious to see what happens when those decisions are left in the hands of states.”

selverd@mojonews.com