COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Schools is facing a funding loss of $45 million over the next two years due to the governor’s proposed state budget, which district leaders said would have a devastating impact on students, families and staff.  

Columbus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman and Treasurer Ryan Cook sat down for a one-on-one interview with NBC4 on Wednesday and said they are pressing lawmakers to make a change before the budget is finalized.  

Cook said because of inflation, the cost to educate a child has gone up over the last few years, but he said the proposed state budget does not take education inflation into account.

“Electric bills have gone up, gas bills have gone up,” Cook said. “The needs of students haven’t decreased so we continue to provide wraparound support in the classroom.”  

Cook said Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget accounts for the recent rise in property values, which increased property taxes for people around Columbus. But he said the budget uses data from 2022 when it comes to education costs. Cook said the budget’s formula needs to be updated using the most recent number on the cost of education.  

“It’s updated cost sets, updated cost sets, updated cost sets,” Cook said. “We cannot continue to do business in 2025 based on cost inputs that are tied to 2022. Fully fund the formula.” 

Columbus voters passed a levy in November 2023 giving the district $100 million to be split between the operating fund and the permanent improvement fund. The permanent improvement money, which totals over $60 million, is being used for necessary infrastructure improvements and renovations on old buildings. That leaves more than $38 million for the operating fund, and Chapman said that money would instead need to be used to fill in the $45 million gap in state funding. This means Columbus voters could be seeing more levies in the future.  

“If the state isn’t providing their share of the funding, then our local community, taxpayers, have to pay the difference, so that means that we’ll be coming back to our community and back to the voters for another ballot potentially,” Chapman said. 

WATCH: Chapman and Cook’s full interview.

Chapman said the $38 million from the levy is being used on essential services like school counseling, career readiness programs, social workers, and after-school and summer programming.  

“All of those enriching programs and services and supports that we provide to support our students in the classroom and outside of the classroom certainly will be at risk and we’ll have to take a really, really close, hard look at whether or not we’ll be able to sustain those additional layers of support,” Chapman said.  

Both Cook and Chapman testified in front of the Ohio House Education Committee Tuesday to tell members about the funding loss and its potential impacts. They said lawmakers at the Statehouse have the power to change the budget’s flawed formula.

“We are very, very hopeful that the House Education Committee will certainly hear our advocacy, hear our cries and be responsive to it,” Chapman said. 

The proposed state budget is set to be implemented on July 1. Chapman said district leaders will continue to be visible at the Statehouse as they advocate for a change.