Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 229. The bill went into effect on Dec. 14, 2021, and will do the following:

  • temporarily extend the deadline to April 30, 2022, for a school district to submit a blended learning model to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) for the 2021-22 school year and require a school district that implements a blended learning model to submit quarterly reports to ODE;
  • require each district to complete and submit within 90 days a remediation plan to address the learning loss students experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and permit school districts to use an already-submitted extended learning plan or local-use funds plan to satisfy the remediation plan;
  • permit a school district to adopt a resolution that provides remote learning to a student whose parent requests remote learning and require the district to notify ODE by Dec. 15, 2021;
  • permit a district that operates an online learning school to allow a quarantined student in a traditional district school to participate in that online learning school during the period of quarantine;
  • exempt districts from retaining a student under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for the 2021-22 school year but require the district to consult with the parent on the decision of a principal and reading teacher as to whether a student should be retained;
  • prohibit the use of the chronic absenteeism measure on the state report card for the 2021-22 school year;
  • add two school district superintendents and a school principal to the state report card review committee but specifies that they must represent urban, suburban and rural school districts;
  • add a representative from a community school to the state report card review committee;
  • require ODE to calculate an adjusted four-year graduation rate for those students who were continuously enrolled in the same district or building in grades nine-12;
  • exempt an online learning school from the current law requirement that school administrators develop an emergency management plan for each building under their control;
  • require a public school to integrate the study of economic and financial literacy into one or more existing social studies credits or into the content of another class for students graduating between 2022-2025;
  • require EdChoice and Cleveland voucher payments to be distributed to a student’s guardian, legal custodian or caregiver if the student doesn’t live with their parent;
  • update the timing of Cleveland voucher payments to match EdChoice voucher payments;
  • make a change to the funding base used to determine state funding to an educational service center.

General Assembly activity
The General Assembly sent SB 166 to DeWine for his signature. The bill would establish the student pathways for career success grant program and require the state to create a program that establishes financial incentives for Ohio businesses to provide work-based learning experiences for students enrolled in career-technical education programs. The bill would also do the following:

  • modify the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal to include a student completing 250 hours of a work-based learning experience that is either approved by a business advisory council or aligned to the career-technical pathway approved by ODE in which the student is enrolled;
  • replace a district's or school's enrolled ADM with the sum of enrolled ADM for all districts and schools within the career technical planning district as a factor in computing career awareness and exploration funds;
  • permit career-technical schools to use remote or digital learning;
  • require joint vocational school districts to be included in revenue-sharing agreements from a CRA. 

Senate activity
The Senate passed HB 126 by a vote of 24-7. The bill would modify the board of revision process to only allow property owners to file an initial complaint and require a school district, before filing a counter-complaint, to adopt a resolution that includes evidence of another value. The bill also would prohibit a property owner and a school district from entering into a private pay agreement and prohibit a school district from appealing the decision of a board of revision. Additionally, the provisions of the bill would go into effect for complaints filed for tax year 2022. The bill is now in the House for a concurrence vote.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 221, sponsored by Sen. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg), which would include a laptop, netbook or tablet computer from sales tax if purchased during the sales tax holiday and increase the allowable price for school supplies and school instructional material.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 192, sponsored by Sen. Sandra R. Williams (D-Cleveland), which would reduce property taxes on qualifying owner-occupied homes to the extent that property taxes increase by more than 10% from the previous year.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 248, which would require, rather than permit, school districts to provide a moment of silence each school day.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 240, sponsored by Sen. Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House), which would establish a process that would allow the merger of one or more community schools and nonprofit operators into a community school network.

Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 251, sponsored by Sens. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) and Tina Maharath (D-Columbus), which would allow a person under age 16 to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year if the person has parental or legal guardian consent.

Ohio Controlling Board
The Ohio Controlling Board approved a request to establish $1.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 22 and $1.5 million in FY 23 to fund the following required studies established under SB 310 of the 133rd General Assembly:

  • special education;
  • gifted services;
  • Incentives for rural districts serving identified gifted children;
  • educational service centers;
  • English learners;
  • cost to educate e-school students;
  • cost of operating community schools.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 12/17/2021