Law proposal: Schools fill funding gaps

CLAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - A Clayton lawmaker worked to shake up the way that Montgomery County schools are funded.

State Representative Mike Henne said it's time to let the schools make some money.

The idea was to allow schools to fill funding gaps, by selling school spirit wear and renting out rooms to community groups after school hours.

Schools across the state have dealt with dwindling budgets.

District Treasurer, Dan Schall, said since 2009, Vandalia Butler's been working with the same $35 million operating budget, but he expected to see that number slashed.

Schall started looking for other possible revenue sources and he didn't have to look far.

What he found, was an opportunity to make money off goods and services the school already owns. The only issue was, it's against the current law.

So, Schall took his idea to State Representative Mike Henne, who last week introduced the legislation that would make it legal to sell their brands, t-shirts, sweatshirts and whatever else they want.

Schall said it's difficult to project what kind of money schools could make, but said he believes it should be an option to help take burden off taxpayers.

School officials said that's reason enough to support the bill.

The bill hasn't been assigned to a committee, so Representative Henne said it will take some time.

However, if it passes, Montgomery County's 16 school districts would be the first to pilot the new program.