COLUMBUS, Ohio — High school students from Northeast Ohio testified at the Statehouse Wednesday, urging the lawmakers to fully fund education and support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
"It's very easy to make a decision that impacts many people — when that person isn't you," Cleveland Heights/University Heights City School District (CHUH) freshman Cavan Bruce said.
Four students and three educators made a two-and-a-half-hour drive — coming down from Cleveland Heights to Columbus — to fight for their school.
"I think it was just important for us to be there because we specifically represent diversity and we are all people of color," CHUH freshman Kennedi Brown said.
Brown and freshman Emmanuel Gutierrez came to represent their district, testifying about the importance of school funding in front of the Senate Education Committee, urging the legislature not to restrict DEI initiatives.
"We all have an equal chance to be successful," Gutierrez said.
The district would have received $7 million from the state under the expected funding formula. Due to the House cutting the education budget, they would only receive $700,000.
You can watch the budget proposal below:
RELATED: Ohio House GOP budget proposal slashes public school funding
Both students are a part of multicultural clubs and music groups — both programs are at risk of being cut.
"We need a lot of funding to do music and be creative because a lot of people, especially in Cleveland Heights — they love art," Brown said. "I should be able to produce my art."
But House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said that schools are overspending, and there isn’t enough money in the budget to afford the high cost of per-pupil needs.
"One of our school districts spends about $12,000 per child," he said about a Northwest Ohio school. "And [the superintendent] hastened to point out that the average was $16,300."
After I spoke to the students, I asked Huffman about the concerns that school clubs would be shut down. Huffman responded that he doesn't think anyone is saying that cultural clubs would be shuttered.
He and state Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) say that DEI policies can actually stigmatize students — and can hurt Black, Brown, female and students with disabilities.
"DEI policies are this closeted ghost that makes people believe that's the only reason you're in the room," Williams said. "I want individuals to look inside of a particular room and see a Black individual and know they must be qualified to be there."
Freshman Jesse Bowling disagreed, saying DEI initiatives empowered him to join school leadership.
"I was able to meet people just like me," he said.
Although the students worry that the lawmakers won’t listen.
"Was the two and a half hour drive worth it?" I asked Bowling and Bruce.
"Well, it gives us a chance to have our voice heard," Bruce responded.
"Being able to have our voices heard, even if they weren't paying attention, it's still the old saying, 'It's the thought that counts,'" Bowling said.
The budget will continue to be debated over the coming months.
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