Bryan Flannery - Author, Chief Advocate and Spokesperson, Educate Ohio Amendment. On December 11, 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled for the fourth time that Ohio’s school funding system is unconstitutional and the General Assembly had failed to meet the mandates of the court to perform “a complete systematic overhaul of the school-funding system.�
Since that ruling, Ohio’s continuing budget problems have resulted in its cutting funding to all 612 school districts. These cuts and increased federal mandates have forced many local districts to turn to voters to raise revenue through property taxes. Large numbers of these levies have failed, resulting in substantial cutbacks in teachers and programs.
Bryan Flannery, a former lawmaker, will present his efforts to solve the school funding crisis in Ohio—a constitutional amendment called "Educate Ohio."
"Educate Ohio" would eliminate the need for school districts to pass tax hikes to raise money for operational needs. The amendment would cap property taxes and require the General Assembly to make up the difference in revenue, shifting the burden of school funding from local districts to the state. It also would require the state to guarantee access to, determine the cost of, and continually update standards for high quality education for every school-age child in Ohio.
Flannery began his career as a Lakewood City councilman. He served two terms as an Ohio State Representative, and in 2002, he was the Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State. Currently Flannery works in the health insurance field with government health care plans and labor union Taft-Hartley funds.