Seven of 10 school districts in Butler County would receive new money under Gov. John Kasich’s proposed school funding plan, while three districts would get double-digit increases.

Fairfield, Lakota and Monroe would get double-digit increases for either fiscal year 2014 or 2015, while Middletown City Schools would receive double-digit increases both years, according to a Hamilton JournalNews/Middletown Journal analysis of data the governor’s office released.

Middletown, a district of 7,225 students, would receive nearly $6.2 million, or 23.9 percent more the first year compared to fiscal year 2013, and $4.7 million or 14.5 percent the second year.

“I think we’re cautiously optimistic about the preliminary numbers,” Middletown Superintendent Greg Rasmussen said. “I think we’re a long ways from seeing how that would impact our district and there is a lot of devil in the details about certain funds that may have come to us in different ways and whether those are still there or not.”

The bulk of Middletown’s funding would come from Core Opportunity Aid, which Kasich administration officials said would ensure that every school district that levies 20 mills in property taxes (20 dollars for every $1,000 of assessed property value) will generate the same as a district with a $250,000 per-pupil property tax base.

Hamilton City Schools — with enrollment around 9,868 — is slated to receive $49.7 million in 2013; and would receive nearly $4.8 million, or 9.7 percent more the first year compared to fiscal year 2013, and $2.6 million or 4.8 percent more the second year.

Hamilton Treasurer Robert Hancock said because the new school funding formula has not yet been released, it is impossible to reconcile the simulations recently released by the Office of Budget and Management.

“Keep in mind that the state budget will be debated and amended in the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Hancock said. “There are large blocks of school districts, many located next to each other, that are getting no funding increase. Legislators for those areas of the state are going to be hard pressed to support this proposal in its current form.

“We look forward to reviewing the actual legislation when it is released and anticipate that a funding formula calculation will surface shortly thereafter.”

Monroe City Schools — with enrollment around 2,217 — is slated to receive $4.5 million in 2013; and would receive nearly $1.1 million or 25 percent more in fiscal year 2014.

Holly Cahall, Monroe schools’ treasurer, said she was happy about the proposed increase, which was more than had been anticipated, but stressed that “it’s still not final.”

“This is only a projection,” she said. “We’re a little cautious, but once we put this in our forecast, it will make a difference.”

Lakota Local Schools — with enrollment around 16,625 — is set to receive $35.6 million in 2013; and would receive $4.1 million or 11.6 percent more the first year, and $849,318 or 2.1 percent the second year.

“We had projected a cut in funding, and the governor made his comments (last week) and indicated we couldn’t be cut,” said Lakota spokesman Randy Oppenheimer. “Any increase in funding is good news.”

Fairfield City Schools — with enrollment around 9,154 — is set to receive $19.9 million in 2013; and would receive nearly $5 million or 25 percent more the first year compared to fiscal year 2013, and $838,876 or 3.37 percent more the second year.

“While the preliminary data appears to be good news for us, we are focusing on the fact that this information has not yet been finalized,” said Superintendent Paul Otten.

No district would receive less funding, the governor told superintendents who gathered near Columbus last week to hear details of his new “Achievement Everywhere” plan.

Left flat-funded both years would be three Butler County school districts — Edgewood, Ross and Talawanda — and five Warren County school districts — Carlisle, Franklin, Lebanon, Little Miami and Wayne. Those districts would get no new state money over what they received for this current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

The funding spreadsheets detailed a variety of sub-categories, which vary by district, based on characteristics such as number of students with disabilities or number of economically disadvantaged students, measured by eligibility for free-or-reduced lunch.

For example, Hamilton schools — with 62 percent of students economically disadvantaged — is expected to receive $5.5 million for economically disadvantaged students. Whereas the Lakota district — with only 15 percent of students eligible for free-or-reduced lunches — will receive $400,000.