Education

Recently, Wittenberg University's Board of Trustees announced a plan to cut almost $5 million from the budget over the next four years.  The university's president, Dr. Laurie Joyner believes that the school is on the right track to overcoming a $7 million budget deficit and developing a plan to make the school stronger in the future.

Joyner says that Wittenberg is facing the same type of fiscal problems that most institutions of higher learning are dealing with. And the same types of significant challenges.

Two Clark County school districts had levies defeated by narrow margins on election day.  The Clark-Shawnee and the Tecumseh Local school districts are hoping to see vote totals change by the end of the month when all provisional and absentee ballots are counted.

Voters in the Clark-Shawnee School District rejected a proposed 10-year, 7.59-mill levy that would have raised $2.5 million per year. The levy was defeated by only eight votes.

Early childhood education may get a boost in the state budget. A group of lawmakers are meeting today to discuss adding a voucher program that will help eligible children attend private preschools. The Education Finance Subcommittee will be hearing testimony from local educators, business people and community leaders. There are 130,000 children in Ohio eligible to attend government funded preschool programs. Fewer than half of them receive preschool services.