The Ohio Senate released a version of its budget bill yesterday, detailing amendments it has made to Gov. John Kasich’s biennial operating budget.
The state Senate and House of Representatives must pass a budget by June 30, before the start of next fiscal year. Kasich released his version of the state’s operating budget March 15.
Kasich’s budget would leave Ohio University with $5.3 million less in state aid next year, which would bring the university’s total deficit, including rising health care and utility costs, to about $9.6 million.
According to a summary of the bill, the Senate’s budget:
— Includes fewer baccalaureate degree programs in the total number of programs required to be offered as 3-year degrees.
— Requires the chancellor of the Board of Regents to report annually “value-added data,” or information regarding the academic growth of students, “for graduates of teacher preparation programs who teach English language arts or math for grades four through eight.”
— Allows Ohio’s Office of Internal Audit to audit the Board of Regents.
— “Allows universities to enter lease agreements with non-public vendors to construct and operate new or existing campus housing facilities.”
— Creates an Ohio Out-of-State Tuition Surcharge Forgiveness program. The summary did not provide specific information about the program.
OU officials were not available for comment on the Senate’s budget bill yesterday. The full version of the Senate budget bill had not been released online as of press time.
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