Oh, boy, here we go again. Ohio is still choking on its poorly written smoking ban, and already another constitutional amendment is knocking on the door.

Its name tag says "Guaranteeing High Quality Public Education." Of course. Nobody would try to pass petitions labeled "Huge Tax Increase." But this time, let's read the fine print.

The amendment would chisel into stone that every student in public schools "has a fundamental right, guaranteed by the state, to the opportunity for a High Quality Public Education, regardless of school district property values, income levels, or other demographic or geographic factors."

That sounds as "safe and effective" as a bottle of aspirin - "if used as directed."

But who defines "High Quality Public Education?" And what will it cost?

According to the proposed ballot language on petitions, "high quality education" would be defined by an unelected Education Advisory Committee appointed by the state Board of Education. The 18 members would be: one-third teachers and superintendents, one-third union and business people, and one-third other citizens.

They would tell the state how much to spend and how much to raise taxes.

William Phillis, director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, which wrote the amendment, has been battling for such a plan since his group backed the 1991 DeRolph lawsuit that found Ohio's education funding to be unconstitutional.

"The system we have is not working," he said. "In my experience over the last 48 years I have traveled well over a million miles in Ohio and I have found horrific conditions, unsafe and incredibly terrible buildings, and inadequate programs."

He says the amendment will finally define "what it is that kids need to be successful whether they live in Indian Hill or the city of Cincinnati."

Ohio Sen. Kevin Coughlin has another name for the amendment: massive tax increase.

"If this plan were in place today, it would require at least a 38 percent increase in the state income tax, or a 43 percent increase in the state sales tax to just fund the schools in 2007," he said. He points out:

• Since 1997, Ohio has increased school funding by 72 percent to climb from 48th nationally to 14th. That includes $4 billion more since 1991.

• Funding per pupil has risen 78 percent since 1991, three times the rate of inflation.

• Nearly $7 billion has been spent on school construction since 1997 - a rate of $2 million per day.

And the gap between rich and poor districts has been erased. In 1997, poor districts had $667 less per student; today, they have $50 more per student than wealthy districts.

But if wealthy districts continue to pass levies, as allowed by the amendment, the gap would grow again, triggering more tax hikes for poor districts to catch up, Coughlin said. "This could drive us to economic ruin and reverse many of the good things we've done."

Rep. Bill Seitz said: "Even if the amendment was the 'perfect' solution to school funding, I could never support putting into the Constitution that a 'high quality education' is a 'fundamental right' because that is legalese for granting the courts complete jurisdiction over the schools and school funding. 'Fundamental right' is a loaded legal buzzword, and if that 'hook' is in the Constitution, every school budget will be reviewable by the courts."

And here's something most Ohio voters don't know: The campaign to raise your taxes is paid for by you.

The Coalition for Equity is funded by annual dues from 500 public school districts (including most in our region), at a rate of 50 cents per student. For Cincinnati Public Schools, with 35,000 students, that's $17,782.

"You've got tax money that could be used in the classroom being used to push a political agenda," Coughlin said.

Phillis says, "I'm perplexed that people are getting so agitated so early." With 403,000 signatures needed to get it on the ballot next fall, "It would be nice if they just let the process work," he said.

Phillis insists that Ohio property wealth is so uneven, local control of schools through levies is "a cruel illusion."

But the real "cruel illusion" is the amendment. "Teacher unions are salivating over the prospect of this kind of money on the table," Coughlin said. "The public understands that more money alone doesn't improve education and the vast majority goes directly into salaries and benefits."

Ohio schools don't need more blank checks. They need more parents who say, "Do your homework." And that doesn't take a constitutional amendment.

E-mail pbronson@enquirer.com or call 513-768-8301.