Ohio has pledged $23 billion as part of its "Rebuilding Ohio Schools" initiative. As a result, many school districts are designing new schools that serve contemporary educational needs and support the modernization of facilities. However, much of this effort is planned in the absence of substantive community input and in isolation from other local efforts.

Today, securing community support for schools is more necessary than ever, because the amount of parents with school-aged children has fallen significantly to 20% in most communities. This leaves 80% of tax payers with little to no vested interest in their public school system.

As demonstrated time and time again, people are more likely to support what they helped create. According to our Foundation's 2004 Ohio's Education Matters poll, 90% of Ohioans say they want the opportunity to advise their public schools on major decisions. Also, communities are more likely to financially support improvements that involve them. In this same poll, community members said they'd be more willing to pay higher taxes on a school built around their needs, in addition to the needs of students. In fact, levy support rose from 43% to 63% when the school was proposed as a multipurpose facility open to all community members.

Often, it's tempting for school districts to build a brand new school on the periphery of the community, rather than renovate an existing school in the heart of the community. Our Foundation advocates for renovation and building at the heart of a community, so schools can share resources with community organizations, strengthening both.

According to our 2004 Ohio's Education Matters poll, Ohioans strongly support schools that are not just open from 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. Community members want schools that will offer after-hours programs and open facilities to all members of the community. Specifically:

• 91% of community members favor comprehensive, after-school programs;
  
• 84% favor community member use of school facilities after hours;
  
• 62% favor locating community social services for children on school grounds;
  
• 65% favor locating programs for adults on school grounds.

Schools that serve as the center of the community can change students' lives for the better. A report on evaluations of 20 schools as centers of community initiatives across the nation revealed that these schools stimulate greater academic achievement, family engagement, community vitality, and general effectiveness than more traditional public schools.