Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Monday identified education funding and reform among top priorities in his proposed 2014-15 budget and proposed a series of tax cuts for individuals, small businesses and state sales tax.

The education proposal followed the unveiling of Kasich’s new “Achievement Everywhere” school funding and reform plan, a $15.1 billion, two-year plan that boosts K-12 spending by $1.2 billion over the biennium, thanks to state revenue growth partly from expanded gambling.

That boost in state aid includes $548 million more for base funding for school districts.

Kasich’s plan also establishes a $300 million “Straight A” fund to pay for competitive innovation and efficiency grants.

The school funding formula proposals also include $300,000 worth of one-time grants for initiatives that improve student learning and classroom teaching

Kasich’s proposal would bring all schools up to the tax base level of a district with $250,000 in property value per student — the 96th percentile of districts statewide — to ease wide disparities in millage revenues from local levies. It then directs extra money to districts for special-needs and disabled students, English language learners, gifted and talented students, and high school students earning college credit.

Like other districts, Kings schools is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the possible effects of Kasich’s plan.

“We’re happy to not see a cut in funding, which we’ve seen the past several years for us,” said Valerie Browning, the district’s superintendent. “We’re happy we’re going to be kept whole, especially in terms of (reimbursement from) tangible personal property (taxes). That’s a big concern for us because that’s more than $3 million in our budget.”

The district is reluctant about what may happen the second year of the budget, Browning said.

“It looks as though the guarantee is going to go away, which of course will hurt us,’ she said. “We know we’re not going to see any additional money because we fit into that high-income, high property value category,” she said.

Mason Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline said the district appreciates that Kasich’s plan emphasizes Ohio’s students, but noted that “many of the details remain unclear.”

“We are encouraged to learn that Mason will not lose further TPP reimbursement, and are glad to know that Mason’s students will have at least the same amount of state funding as during the last biennium budget,” Kist-Kline said. “We have been taking many unprecedented measures to improve instruction and reduce costs, and are eager to find out if some of that work could be part of the innovation and efficiency grants.”

Greg Power, superintendent of Little Miami schools, said he was glad to see Kasich made the commitment to make no further cuts in state funding.

“We’re also encouraged to see that there may be extra funds to serve special-needs students, English language learners and gifted students,” Power said. “But we do have a concern that public monies continue to be channeled into for-profit charter schools that are not held to the same standards and do not get the amount of attention that public schools do.

“We know that this budget proposal is just that — a proposal. We will wait with great interest to see how this proposal will fare in the state legislature.”

With only limited details shared regarding the new funding proposal, Lebanon School District officials do not have enough information to know how it will impact the district, according to Eric Sotzing, treasurer.

“However, we will continue to monitor the information as it is released and incorporate it into our forecast as the details become clear,” Sotzing said.

The budget also includes a proposed 50 percent cut in taxes paid by small businesses on the first $750,000 in earnings ($1.9 billion less government revenue over three years); a reduction in personal income taxes by 20 percent in three years ($2.1 billion less government revenue); and a 0.5 percent cut in sales tax ($2.4 billion less in revenues).

Warren County Commissioner Dave Young said he likes Kasich’s idea of lowering taxes for small businesses to help them cut the cost of doing business.

“Typically, when you see cut taxes, you see increased business activity,” Young said. “Hopefully, the pie in Ohio will continue to grow. Even though you’re cutting tax rates, as that pie grows by attracting more businesses in, making it more business friendly, that’s going to benefit everybody.”