Appalachian leader: DeWine, others 'exceeded our expectations' with investment in rural kids
Only a few months ago, we anticipated children, families, teachers, and health care providers across southeast Ohio would be entering the toughest state budget cycle in generations. We knew the need for investment in our region would be among the greatest ever.
More:Ohio lawmakers send budget with tax cuts, new school funding formula to Gov. DeWine's desk
The pandemic put a bright light on the need for broadband, but also on the need for investment in so many other, less discussed areas: child mental and behavioral health; low-income schools; aging water and sewer; environmentally damaging septic systems; contaminated industrial sites; and an aging housing stock, to name a few.
More:Federal, Ohio money helps rural areas lacking water infrastructure, but more help needed
With Gov. Mike DeWine’s signature on the biennial budget, we are happy to report that our state leaders not only answered our call for aid in southeast Ohio. They exceeded our expectations.
The changes to the school funding formula will likely see tens, if not hundreds, of millions of additional dollars flow to school districts that are members of the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools over the next two years.
(CORAS is a member of the Appalachian Children Coalition, a partnership of educators and mental health providers across two dozen rural southeast Ohio counties.)
More:Ohio lawmakers send budget with tax cuts, new school funding formula to Gov. DeWine's desk
For more than two decades, state leaders have punted on solving the problem of underinvesting in schools with high rates of child poverty.
DeWine, House Speaker Bob Cupp, and Senate President Matt Huffman have done what many others failed to do: they invested in rural, Appalachian schools and kids.
The state also fully funded a $2.5 million investment in a training and retention program for child mental and behavioral health workers across southeast Ohio, where the shortage of such professionals is the greatest statewide. And last week, legislators appropriated $84 million of investment in child behavioral health projects, a huge need for southeast Ohio, where no county currently offers in-patient treatment for a child in crisis.
More:'A perfect storm': Challenges of life in Appalachian Ohio affect children's mental health
The continuance or expansion of programs that directly or indirectly improve the lives of children in rural Ohio are also heartening. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted has made broadband expansion and telehealth a dual focus for our region since the start of the pandemic, delivering millions of dollars to expand telehealth and broadband access in schools and for students since last year.
More:'Every day, we're falling behind in Appalachian Ohio': Lack of broadband hurts rural areas
Now, the budget’s $250 million investment in broadband infrastructure will be the largest effort to connect southeast Ohio since lawmakers spent money electrifying our region nearly 100 years ago. Additional investments in cleaning up and redeveloping blighted properties or abandoned industrial facilities will make the ground, air and water cleaner in the communities where our kids live, learn and play.
More:'The time is now': What does a $290 million broadband investment mean for Ohio?
The state also struck compromises that are encouraging and demonstrate that in a tough political climate, our leaders know how to work together to benefit kids. The governor’s wraparound dollars for school-based health services remained in the budget, even as the legislature expanded overall investment in K-12 education, a key priority for our region’s educational and health leaders.
The state acknowledged “Step Up To Quality” needs to be improved to see more childcare centers started and sustained in rural areas, yet isn’t moving hastily: they’re going to study how to improve the program for rural and urban children alike. We look forward to helping the state government navigate our region in that initiative.
These sorts of positive investments rarely attract the headlines that they should. So we want to highlight the good work of state leaders, namely the governor, lieutenant governor and legislators from our region, led in the House by Reps. Don Jones and Jay Edwards, and in the Senate by Sens. Jay Hottinger and Bob Peterson, to finally address so many needs of kids that have long been ignored.
Randy Leite is executive director of the Appalachian Children Coalition. He retired in 2020 from Ohio University, where he spent 12 years as dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions.