SST 13 Transition Specialist, Patrick Wong will be providing additional trainings on The 6 Tools for Developing Secondary Transition IEP and the New IEP Effective September 1, 2009.

See the links for details. Also below is a map to HC CRES and directions for registering through STARS on the ODE web site for these trainings.

6 Tools Secondary IEP
STARS Registration
HC CRES Map

THIS IS A REPEAT OF THE TRAININGS PROVIDED BY PATRICK WONG TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MAY AND JUNE OF 2009.

The new issue of "...what's for lunch?" is now available at the link below.  

This Month's Headlines Include:

-Free Lunch Numbers Jump to an All Time High
-The President and First Lady Address Healthy School Lunches
-ABC News Covers Meal Charge Policies
-Bagged Lunch Vs. School Lunch
-FSS Unveils the All-New BiometricSolution.com

At FSS, we strive to make each issue of the “…what’s for lunch?” e-newsletter as enjoyable as it is informative. We’d love to hear your feedback/reaction to this month’s editorial content. If you have any suggestions for articles that you’d be interesting in reading about in future issues, we’d love to hear that as well.
Please send your suggestions and comments to: lercanbrack@foodserve.com.

July 27, 2009

Good Morning,

The cool weather last week reminded me more of fall than the dog days of summer. I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, because it looks like summer weather will be returning this week. I find it hard to believe that Saturday is the first day of August.

I remember the excitement and anticipation that would overcome me at this time of year as each passing day brought the school year closer and closer. I suspect many of you are experiencing those feelings now. Now I am experiencing a new kind of anticipation – I am eager to begin working with you on planning, developing and implementing the education reforms contained in House Bill 1, the state budget bill.

ODE staff has been pouring over HB 1. Nearly every aspect of education will experience some changes as a result of the education reforms included within the bill. As soon as we have an expansive summary of HB1, we will share that document with you. In the meantime, some of the biggest changes include the following:

• School Finance: HB 1 changes the way schools are funded by using an Evidence-Based Model (EBM) of school funding, rather than the system of per pupil allocations and weights used previously. Staff in ODE’s Office of School Finance is working to update the payment systems to reflect the changes required in the law. In addition to changes in the funding system, new financial accountability requirements are included in the bill in an effort to make school operations easier for the average citizen to understand. These new accountability requirements will be phased in a thoughtful manner with more details forthcoming.
• Curriculum and Assessment: The State Board and ODE have been charged with revising the academic content standards and assessment system. The bill requires the Board to adopt new content standards that incorporate 21st century skills by June 30, 2010 and new model curricula by March 31, 2011. The bill also calls for a switch from the Ohio Graduation Test as a requirement for graduation to a three-tiered system including end of course exams, a senior capstone project, and a “a nationally standardized assessment in science, math and English language arts.” Additionally, HB 1 allows for the suspension of the writing (grades 4 and 7) and social studies (grades 5 and 8) portions of the Ohio Achievement Tests during the next two school years due to budgetary constraints. However, these subjects continue to be required for future assessments in these grades. The writing test is to be combined with reading to form an English/Language Arts assessment.
• Increased Learning Opportunities: All school districts will be required to offer all-day kindergarten by the 2010-2011 school year, unless granted a waiver by ODE. The waiver process is being developed and will be shared with you as it becomes available. Governor Strickland’s original plan also included provisions to extend the school year. The final bill charges the Superintendent of Public Instruction with presenting a report on extending the school year to the General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2010. In the interim, the number of calamity days available to districts has been reduced from five to three during the 2010-2011 school year.
• Educator Licensure: HB 1 changes the licensure structure for new educators. This is described in further detail below.

Next week, I plan to share with you a more detailed outline of the changes in HB 1 and their ramifications for schools. I appreciate your understanding and patience. We want to offer you timely information, but also want to be certain we are accurate and as comprehensive as possible.

I hope that you all have enjoyed your summer and are ready for the exciting year ahead. Know that I am cheering you on from Columbus!

Ohio Resident Educator Transition Program underway
Gov. Strickland’s plan for Reforming Ohio’s Education System for the 21st Century, provides us with an opportunity to redesign and modernize educator preparation and thoughtfully support the development of educators during their initial years in the profession.

This four-year experience will provide Ohio educators just entering the profession with quality mentoring and guidance essential for a long and flourishing career. Successful completion of the residency program will be required to qualify for a professional educator license. I encourage you to review the following documents on the ODE Web site that outline the Ohio Resident Educator Program:

• Overview of why Ohio is building a new system for beginning teachers;
• Fact sheet about the transition period between 2009 and 2011, when the resident license goes into effect;
• Fact sheet about the development of the resident educator program; and,
• Information that identifies the roles of educators in the transition program.

Center for the Teaching Profession staff will be offering three-hour information sessions on the Resident Educator Transition Program Monday, Aug. 17, and Wednesday, Aug.19, for district, ESC and private and community school induction program leaders. Individuals can attend either an 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. session at the Embassy Suites in Dublin. Registration will be through STARS in early August. More information will be provided when registration opens.

To access the documents listed above and additional information on the program, click here and search keywords: resident educator. Please feel free to duplicate the documents for your staff and colleagues. We will keep you informed of our progress with the program.

Sincerely,

Here are some other items that may be of interest to you:

• New USDOE guidance requires DUNS registration for ARRA funding
• Changes coming to licensing procedures for preschool and school-age licensing
• Applications available for 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year
• Guidance on RTTT and other ARRA programs released

New USDOE guidance requires DUNS registration for ARRA funding
The USDOE has informed us that all primary grant awardees and first-tier grant awardees receiving funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are required to create and/or validate existing Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) to be eligible for any ARRA funds. In addition, some districts need to register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR).

A memo detailing this requirement was sent to districts Wednesday.  For complete information and to view that memo, visit the ODE Stimulus Page by clicking here and select the ODE DUNS Registration memo link in the “New Items” box.

To assure the funding process is not interrupted, we are asking districts to report their DUNS information to ODE by Sept. 1, 2009. This is an essential step to receive any ARRA funds in the September School Payment

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work to achieve an effective implementation of the federal stimulus.

Changes coming to licensing procedures for preschool and school-age licensing
We have received a number of phone calls and e-mails requesting information about licensing for preschool and school-age child care programs. Because of budget changes with the new fiscal year, ODE is no longer contracting with ViaQuest to conduct these visits. Because the visits are required by law, the Office of Early Learning and School Readiness (OELSR) will be conducting the visits. They also will be collecting the required forms. During the next few weeks, OELSR will develop new procedures and post them on its Web pages. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Kim Carlson or Melanie Brown at (614) 995-9974 or toll-free at (877) 644-6338.

Applications available for 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year
It is time to nominate candidates for the 2010 Ohio Teacher of the Year honor. School districts, community schools and chartered nonpublic schools may submit up to three applications for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 teachers. Nominees must be outstanding classroom teachers who are engaged in the direct teaching of students and plan to continue in an active teaching role.

To view the application and details about the selection process, click here and search keywords: teacher of year selection. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30.

Guidance on RTTT and other ARRA programs released
On Friday, July 24, President Obama joined Secretary Duncan to announce the publishing of a Notice of Proposed Priorities (NPP) in the Federal Register for the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” Fund. The public has 30 days to comment on the Fund’s proposed priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria. The USDOE plans to make grants in two phases. Phase 1 will open late in calendar year 2009. Phase 2 will open in late spring 2010.

The President and Secretary will also announce the publishing of proposed requirements, definitions, and approval criteria in the Federal Register for Phase 2 of the $48 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). In Phase 1 of the SFSF, governors submitted applications for an estimated $36 billion, including 100% of the $8 billion in government service funds recently made available to states.  In Phase 2, governors will apply for the remaining $12 billion. The public has 30 days to comment on requirement’s proposed “indicators” -- data on the four areas of reform that must be made available to educators and the public. Unlike “Race to the Top” grants, states would not need to demonstrate progress on the indicators to receive funds. Instead, states must ensure that the information is in place so stakeholders know where schools and students currently stand.

In addition, on July 27, the USDOE will release fact sheets on approximately $9 billion in new grants to states and school districts, including two formula grants (Title I School Improvement Grants and State Educational Technology Grants) and four competitive grants (“Race to the Top,” the “Investing in Innovation” Fund, the Teacher Incentive Fund, and State Longitudinal Data Systems; a new notice inviting applications for State Longitudinal Data System grants; and a letter from the Secretary explaining how the programs work together.

ODE will share this information with LEAs and other stakeholders.

Note: You also may find this document online at http://education.ohio.gov by searching keywords: EdConnection. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about this weekly e-mail, please feel free to contact me at superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

Good afternoon,

It has come to our attention that a slight omission from the notice sent July 22 on Stimulus DUNS and CCR registration might create some uncertainty regarding this process.

The second paragraph of the earlier email states: "All school districts will need to register for DUNS and school districts will also need to register with CCR." More accurately stated, all school districts will need to register for DUNS but only some districts will need to register with CCR.  An explanation of the reasoning for this registration is provided in more detail in the attached DUNS registration memo. This document is also available on the ODE Stimulus Page and may be viewed by clicking here and selecting the link in the “New Items” box.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

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July 20, 2009

Good Morning,

I hope you have a cup of coffee nearby, as this weekly update is a bit longer than usual.

At last, we have an official budget! Governor Strickland signed House Bill 1, the biennium budget bill, into law on Friday, July 17. Although many of you, and ODE staff, have been reviewing documents posted earlier in the week, the Governor’s signature makes everything official. Now the deep work begins!

This bill makes several changes to the education system, most notably adding all-day kindergarten opportunities for all students beginning August 2010. As I mentioned in communications last week, we are in the process of reviewing all 700 pages of the education portion of the budget, which you can read by visiting the ODE Budget Information page.

In the coming weeks, we will be providing you with more detailed information about the budget, how it impacts education and the beginning phases of instituting the education reform plan. Additionally, we will be seeking input on various components of the education reform plan including the development of waivers. Stay tuned!

A Busy Week
Last week, in addition to all of the activity around the state budget, the State Board of Education held its annual retreat, at which Board members worked to develop priorities and strategies for improving Ohio’s education system. Enhancing 21st century skills, implementing technology, ensuring efficient use of resources and effectively communicating with stakeholders were just a few of the areas discussed as ways to raise student achievement. The Board will continue to review the priorities and strategies as well as align the work to the education provisions in HB 1 during the September meeting. The State Board of Education’s role in enhancing academic achievement for all students is vital as they ponder policies and serve as essential advocates for our students.

During the business meeting, the Board voted to rescind and adopt Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3301-20-01 and adopt Rules 3301-20-03 and 3301-83-23 regarding standards of employment for licensed applicants and employees, non-licensed applicants and employees, and school bus and school van driver applicants and employees with certain criminal convictions. At this point, the effective date of the updated rules is contingent upon the date the rules are refiled with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR). We will provide you with further communication about the effective date of the rules once it is finalized.

A full summary of the July 2009 State Board of Education meeting can be found by clicking here and searching keywords: Board Brief.

Court settlement requires ODE to ask districts to help notify parents and students regarding a proposed court settlement regarding special education
On July 2, the Southern District Court of Ohio issued an order regarding a proposed agreed partial settlement in the case of John Doe, et al., v. State of Ohio, et al. This case is a class action on behalf of students with disabilities and their parents or guardians that challenged some of the state’s procedures for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). This case was first presented in the early 1990s.

The settlement addresses the following topics: additional provisions for districts when requesting a waiver of the ratios; formal meetings and notices to parents of children with disabilities residing in the district as part of monitoring; and complaint investigations which determine whether or not the child, who is the subject of a complaint, received a free appropriate public education.

Because this is a class action, it is important that all students with disabilities and their parents and guardians receive notice of the proposed settlement and upcoming court proceedings about the settlement. Those upcoming proceedings include the opportunity to object or comment in writing by Sept. 16 (the address is listed in the notice) and a court hearing on Oct. 20, 2009. 

For this reason, as part of the settlement process, the court has required that ODE ask all districts in Ohio to post a notice of the court hearing involving the case, as well as the consent order (the document that sets forth the terms of the proposed settlement and the changes that will be implemented once the settlement becomes effective).

Copies of the documents were sent via e-mail to school districts last week by ODE’s Office for Exceptional Children (OEC). The notice and consent order should be posted in your buildings and on your Web site (if you have one) from July 17 until Oct. 20, 2009.  We also ask that you be willing to provide a copy of the consent order and notice upon request by parents or other interested parties.

We sincerely appreciate your efforts to help us notify students and parents regarding the settlement and their right to participate in the process.  If you have any questions, please contact Ann Guinan at (614) 466-2650 or ann.guinan@ode.state.oh.us.

2009-2010 Ohio Educational Directory updates due Aug. 19
As we begin a new school year, it’s a good time to be sure your information in the Ohio Educational Directory System – Redesign (OEDS-R) is up-to-date. This year, the deadline to make changes for the 2009-2010 online directory is August 19.
Since the information in OEDS is used for funding notifications, grant opportunities and mailings of educational materials, it is important to verify each record. It is also the source for e-mail addresses for the EdConnection e-mail.
Public and nonpublic district superintendents, including joint vocational school districts, educational service centers and county boards of MRDD; community school principals; and independent nonpublic principals are responsible for ensuring that all information reported in the directory is up-to-date and accurate. Certainly you may designate another person to be the OEDS-R administrator for your school or district.
The person updating OEDS-R must have a SAFE account and have been designated as an OEDS-R administrator to make changes in OEDS-R. Once the OEDS-R administrator has logged in and selected OEDS-R from the application menu, instructions detailing how to update are available by clicking on the Updating OEDS-R link in the left menu bar.
After all changes are complete, check the box at the bottom of the record on the “General” tab next to the paragraph that begins, “Checking this box is an indicator to the OEDS System Administrator that the organization data has been updated and is available for inclusion in the annual directory.”
Clicking the box assures that the information has been submitted properly. If you do not verify the information by clicking the box, your updated information will not appear in the directory.
If you have questions about the update process, please contact your Information Technology Center (ITC) first. If you need more assistance, e-mail OEDSR.Support@ode.state.oh.us. For questions about SAFE accounts, please send an e-mail to Safe.Admin@ode.state.oh.us.

As the month of July speeds by, I am hoping you have set aside some time to relax and rejuvenate.  If you have an opportunity to do some professional reading, here are two possibilities for you to consider: Disrupting Class by Clayton Christensen, and The Global Achievement Gap, by Tony Wagner. While neither is “hot off the press (both 2008),” I can assure you that both books will have you thinking more deeply about the challenges of preparing our students for their future-not our present. Happy pondering!

Sincerely,

Here are some other items that may be of interest to you:

• Educator Profile tool provides real-time status of licensure applications
• Materials posted and input requested on Academic Content Standards revision process
• Secure Data Center open; Value-Added data not yet available
• Ohio Gateway To Technology students capture national attention
• Register now for Great Teachers Make Great Schools: 2009 Teacher Conference

Educator Profile tool provides real-time status of licensure applications
ODE’s Educator Profile is an online tool that allows administrators and teachers to easily track licensure data from the beginning to the end of the process. The most commonly requested information, including application status, assignment data and credential history, is now available in one streamlined location and is continuously updated. Educator Profile is a convenient alternative to calling or e-mailing the licensure office.

To access the Educator Profile tool, you will need an ODE SAFE account and an Internet connection. If you have an active SAFE account, click here to sign in and then select the ODE.CORE Educator Profile link from the list of applications. Individuals without a SAFE account can request an account online and in most cases complete the SAFE account creation process in fewer than five minutes by clicking here. You will need your Ohio Driver License or Ohio State Identification number to register. If you have questions regarding SAFE, please contact: safe.admin@ode.state.oh.us. To learn more about what is available through the Educator Profile tool, click here. For questions regarding data in the Educator Profile, please contact: educator.licensure@ode.state.oh.us. We hope you will share this information with your district staff.

Materials posted and input requested on Academic Content Standards revision process
PowerPoint presentations with talking points presented at the June 30 discussion group meetings for teachers and curriculum directors about the Academic Content Standards revision process are now posted as PDFs on ODE’s Web site at http://education.ohio.gov, keyword search: Revision.

We were very pleased that so many individuals requested to be included in the discussion groups. Unfortunately, ODE could accommodate only 200 of more than 1,600 people who applied for the discussion group meetings. Those not selected, other interested educators and any Ohioan may now provide input on these draft materials. In fact, we encourage you to do so!

Please review the posted materials and provide your feedback via the online questionnaire located on the same page. The survey will be available through August 14. Additional opportunities to provide feedback throughout the standards revision process will be available.

Secure Data Center open; Value-Added data not yet available
The Secure Data Center (SDC) is open for districts to review preliminary data from the 2008-09 test administration. Please note that these reports do not yet include value-added and growth data. Once added in mid-august, the value-added and growth data may change the AYP and School/District Improvement determinations and Ratings values currently displayed in your reports. We will notify you when the exact processing date for growth and value-added data is determined.

Ohio Gateway To Technology students capture national attention
Today, two eighth-graders from North Union Middle School (Richwood) are headed for a VIP tour at John Deere and Company, Moline, Illinois, after receiving the 2009 National Robotics Challenge top innovation award. They were selected for the honor from among 280 entries. Accompanied by their teacher, Kristi Matlack, students Riley Hall and Cody Howell will demonstrate their award-winning remote-controlled rototiller to John Deere representatives. Congratulations, Riley and Cody, and many thanks to their teacher, Kristi, for providing enriching experiences for her students!

The project captured the Challenge’s top prize, including $500 from Honda Engineering North America, Marysville, this past spring. The boys built the robotic tiller as part of their school’s Gateway To Technology (GTT) program, the middle school offering of the Ohio Project Lead The Way (PLTW) pre-engineering program. The tiller, under consideration for a patent, is designed to take the physical strain out of gardening. For more information about PLTW, click here.  

Register now for Great Teachers Make Great Schools: 2009 Teacher Conference
Time is running out to register for the Great Teachers Make Great Schools: 2009 Teacher Conference. Registration deadline is July 31 for the conference, which will be held in Columbus Aug. 10 and 11. It is sponsored byBattelle for Kids, with support from the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Education Association. This statewide conference is designed to provide teachers with empowering information and strategies, to recognize exemplary achievement and progress results, to provide networking and sharing opportunities, and to discuss issues and reforms affecting teachers today.

Speakers include:
Deb Delisle, Superintendent of Public Instruction;
Ron Clark, Disney's 2000 Teacher of the Year;
Harvey Silver, developer of The Thoughtful Classroom; and
Jan Chappuis, author of Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning

Ohio teachers can enter the Greatest Teaching Strategy contest to share teaching strategies that are universal, practical, creative and proven to impact students in a positive way. The teachers who submit the winning strategies will receive a prize package and be recognized both at the conference and on Battelle for Kids’ Web site.

For more information about the conference or to enter the contest, click here or call (614) 481-3141.

Note: You also may find this document online at http://education.ohio.gov by searching keywords: EdConnection. If you have questions, comments or suggestions about this weekly e-mail, please feel free to contact me at superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.

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July 13, 2009

Good Afternoon,

Well, we begin another week and it appears that a budget is in our near future! Governor Strickland, Senate President Bill Harris and House Speaker Armond Budish announced on Friday that they had come to a resolution on a biennium budget.

I know I have mentioned this several times before, but I want to reiterate my appreciation for your commitment and the commitment of ODE staff during this tumultuous budget season. It would have been extremely easy to lose sight of our mission.

In the next day or two, a more detailed analysis will be prepared that I will share with you. In addition to fiscal implications, we will also be looking at how the new budget impacts education in Ohio.

I only hope that finally having a budget allows us to turn the focus away from Columbus and back to the children of Ohio, where it belongs. Have a good week, and I will be in touch with new information, as it becomes available.

Sincerely,

Columbus Dispatch: ‘House & Senate May Vote

                                  Budget Bill Early Next Week’

Read Dispatch article below.

July 10, 2009

Ron F. Adler

President

Ohio Coalition for Quality Education

Phone: 937.239.7969

Email:  radler@ocqe.org

Website: www.ocqe.org

July 7, 2009

Good Morning,

Given that this weekly message is getting to you later than usual, you can rightfully assume that it has been a very hectic start to this week. 

I hope each of you had a spectacular Fourth of July weekend and were able to take time to celebrate our country’s tremendous freedoms with family and friends. This was my first Fourth of July in Columbus and I spent it at the annual Red, White, and Boom festival. What a spectacular fireworks display! I hope you had an equally fun time over the weekend.

The budget process continues. At this point, it is difficult to speculate when we might have any resolution at all. As I mentioned in the special message last week, a Continuing Resolution was passed and signed into law in order to keep state government working in the absence of a biennial budget. This Continuing Resolution is set to expire today; however, last week the House put forth an additional resolution that will provide state government funding for another seven days. The Senate passed the resolution yesterday. If an agreement on a two-year budget cannot be struck today, it is expected that Governor Strickland will sign the resolution. Governor Strickland held a news conference yesterday morning to discuss the lack of a budget. Please click here to view Governor Strickland’s news conference.

As far as activity in Columbus concerning the budget, there are two hearings currently underway. One is being held by the Senate on the proposed Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs). The second is being held by the House on the potential implications that state agencies might experience should additional reductions have to occur if the anticipated VLT revenues are not included in the biennium budget. I was called to testify last Thursday evening on the potential ramifications to education of such an action. Quite honestly, the impact would be devastating on the Department and may have serious impacts on districts as well. Please click here for a copy of my testimony. Although the testimony is brief, the Q/A session was quite extensive and the discussion and questions focused on the following topics (these are just a sample and are not intended as the only topics): implications of a $1 billion cut to ODE; implications of funding reductions to the foundation formula; decreasing the size of government and assuming education into a larger state agency; stability of funds anticipated from VLTs; specific dollar amounts for individual programs; and concerns for districts and ODE with continuing resolutions.

I fully understand the dilemma that this unresolved state budget brings to all of us. One issue remains abundantly clear; leadership in both chambers of the General Assembly and Governor Strickland remain committed to education. The Continuing Resolutions provide ODE with the necessary resources to continue making Foundation Payments. The July #1 payment, which has been processed, is based on figures from the June #2 payment. Any changes to the school funding formula enacted in House Bill 1 will be made once the 2010-11 budget is finalized. We will update payment calculations and begin to reconcile annual payments at that time. Until then, however, we are relying on the best information we have available.

I greatly appreciate your continued understanding during these challenging times. The implications this process has on district budgets that have already been developed add to the uncertainty as the school year quickly approaches. Although the times are unsettling, ODE remains committed to maintaining the state’s focus on students and we will deliver updates to you as information becomes available.

On a personal note, if you need to have an uplifting moment, please go to see the movie, UP. While it will bring a few tears, it definitely brings perspective to what is important in life. I laughed and I cried, but most of all, my heart was strengthened. 

I hope that you will take time to enjoy these days of summer and find things in your life that will lift you UP!

Sincerely,

Special Update, Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 12:19 pm

Senate Plans Hearings On Slots Proposal; Wednesday's Budget Conference Committee Canceled

Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) has announced he will initiate hearings on the governor’s slots proposal starting Thursday, when a five-member task force would convene to discuss details of the plan.

“Still missing from this debate are the details,” Sen. Harris said in a news release. “Up until eleven days ago, the Governor and I shared the same concerns about expanded gambling in Ohio. Legislative hearings will help Senators better understand the specifics of the gambling proposal the Governor now says he supports.”

Sen. Mark Wagoner (R-Toledo) will chair the task force, the Senate president said.

In other budget-related developments, the 7 p.m. Wednesday meeting of the conference committee on the spending plan (HB 1) has been canceled, Chairman Rep. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) said. Further details on the committee's schedule are pending.

More details in today’s Gongwer News Service Ohio Report.

Wednesday July 1, 2009- EdConnection - Weekly Update from Deborah S. Delisle, Superintendent of Public Instruction

As you have almost certainly heard, the Conference Committee did not meet this weekend to finalize the 2010-11 Budget. It appears that the discussions about the budget will continue for a few more days. In order to meet the state’s constitutional obligation to operate under a balanced budget, this afternoon the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution that will allow operations to continue based on FY 2009 spending levels. The House must then pass and Governor Strickland must sign the temporary budget. The process is expected to be completed by tomorrow. This measure allows the Conference Committee to continue working on the final budget without inhibiting the state’s ability to do work on behalf of Ohio’s citizens.

This Continuing Resolution will be in effect for seven days. We are working to identify areas of the current (2008-09) budget that must be included in the Continuing Resolution language in order for ODE to continue to make necessary payments and fulfill certain obligations.

As new information becomes available, I will be certain to pass it along. Please note that the July #1 Foundation Payment will be based on June #2 figures. I understand your concerns with respect to these payments, as making payroll and paying encumbrances can be dependent on them. We will be making these payments on time and with the best information we have available. 

Thank you for your continued patience with this process. Believe me, I share in your anticipation and angst. These are certainly interesting and trying times.