Amended Substitute HB 95, biennial budget, passed by the House:

 •  Is $500 million less than the governor’s proposed budget, most of the “savings” coming from primary and secondary education.
 •  Includes a temporary one-cent sales tax increase.  The one-cent increase is eliminated  if voters approve an issue in November authorizing video lottery terminals at Ohio’s seven horse racetracks.   If passed, the Ohio Lottery Commission is directed to start conducting such games by December 1, 2003, and the sales tax reverts to its current level.
 •  Increases per-pupil funding base cost amount to $5088 for ‘04 and $5230 for ‘05; currently is $4949.
 •  Switches the minimum school year from 182 days to 910 hours for grades 1-8 and 1001 hours for    grades 9-12 beginning in the 2003-04 school year.  Calamity days are eliminated.
 •  Permits a district that allows a student to make up instructional hours missed due to an excused absence to count that student’s attendance during the make-up time in its average daily attendance.
 •  ADA (average daily attendance) would replace ADM (average daily membership) as the method    for  counting students for funding purposes in FY ‘05.  Districts would be required to report attendance    levels each month and receive funding based on attendance figures.  Attendance incentives for the    eight largest urban districts are included.  Three-year averaging of ADM would be eliminated     beginning in FY ‘04.
 •  Professional development programs for all administrator organizations were eliminated.
 •  Funding for OhioReads is significantly reduced.
 •  Not later than July 1, 2004, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) shall establish the Ohio    regional education delivery system to provide services and technical assistance to school districts.     The system shall provide services that were formerly provided by regional professional development    centers, special education regional resource centers, area media centers, school improvement     facilitators, Ohio SchoolNet regional faculty, and other service providers.  The number of regional    service centers established shall not exceed nineteen (19) and shall be distributed geographically    throughout the state.
 • Keeps SchoolNet as a separate agency.
 •  Gives $15,000 vouchers to parents of autistic children to acquire the most appropriate education for    their children.
 •  Eliminates the specific dollar amounts earmarked for special education weighted funding in both    fiscalyears.
 •  Parity aid follows students to community schools.
 •  Specifies that the amount paid to community schools and deducted from the state aid of the student’s    home district cannot exceed the home district’s state SF-3 payment and property tax rollback     reimbursement.
 •  Specifies computer-based community schools may provide “non-computer-based instructional    methods.”
 •  Revises language for school breakfast and summer meal programs.

The Senate began deliberations on this bill the week of April 21.