Upcoming Events
State Legislative Conference
March 21, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square Columbus

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear briefings on proposed legislation and hear from legislative leaders about their respective views and priorities related to public education. Attendees are asked to schedule office appointments with legislators between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Click here to register.

Budget Webinar
Yesterday, over 500 public school leaders joined OSBA, BASA, and OASBO for a Budget Webinar to review Governor DeWine’s executive budget proposal and discuss House Bill (HB) 1. Click here for a link to the webinar recording and use passcode n9??zd!$. The presentation is available here.

Fair School Funding Plan Webinar
The Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) Workgroup held a webinar on Mar. 1. Click here for a link to the webinar recording, passcode H.DFm.0z, and here for the presentation. The FSFP workgroup has released simulations with updated base cost inputs (please note the assumptions used). Click here for the link to those simulations.

Additionally, the FSFP workgroup has two additional webinars scheduled.

Tuesday, March 7 at 8:00 p.m.
Click here to register.

FSFP Workgroup Webinar (Part 2). This webinar will focus on answering questions.
Monday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m.
Click here to register.

Senate activity
The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 1, sponsored by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), by a vote of 26-7. The bill would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and would create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The bill was amended earlier in the week to include the following changes:

  • Change the bill’s implementation deadline from June 30, 2023 to 90 days after the bill’s effective date;
  • Permit, rather than require, the Superintendent of Public Instruction to act as an advisor to the Director of Education and Workforce;
  • Require the Senate Education Committee to hold at least one in-person hearing on the nomination of an individual to serve as Director of Education and Workforce, Deputy Director of Primary and Secondary Education, or Deputy Director of Career-Technical Education before the full Senate holds a confirmation vote on the nomination;
  • Require the Director of Education and Workforce, within 90 days of the bill's effective date, to amend or rescind any administrative rules regarding home education or nonchartered nonpublic schools as necessary to conform with changes made by the bill and prohibit the Director from adopting or prescribing any additional rules regarding home education or nonchartered nonpublic schools;
  • Specify that the minimum education standards are limited to powers and duties that are expressly prescribed and authorized in statute;
  • Specify that a student receiving home education is subject to the state truancy law;
  • Make technical changes to the bill. 

OSBA provided opponent testimony on the bill. Click here to read the testimony. The bill now heads to the Ohio House.

House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education
The committee held testimony on the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The following individuals provided testimony:

The Legislative Service Commission has released the school district and JVSD simulations based on the introduced version of the bill. Click here for the school district simulations and here for the JVSD simulations.

House Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education
The committee held testimony on the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The following individuals provided testimony:

Senate Education Committee
The committee passed SB 17, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), which would require the State Board to update the standards and model curriculum for financial literacy and entrepreneurship in grades nine-12 to include free market capitalism content.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 49, sponsored by Sen. Michelle Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), which would enact the Religious Expression Days "R.E.D." Act and would require school boards to adopt a policy providing students with religious accommodations for up to three days.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee amended House Bill (HB) 12, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and David Dobos (R-Columbus). This bill is a companion to SB 1. HB 12 would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and would create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The amendments would make the following changes to the bill:

  • Change the bill’s implementation deadline from June 30, 2023 to 60 days after the bill’s effective date;
  • Permit, rather than require, the Superintendent of Public Instruction to act as an advisor to the Director of Education and Workforce;
  • Require DEW to establish a stakeholder outreach process when engaging in Chapter 119 rulemaking;
  • Specify that the rulemaking authority of the Director of Education and Workforce is limited to the statutorily prescribed powers and duties of the Director and DEW;
  • Specify that any policy adopted, or guidance issued, by the Director or DEW that is not expressly authorized or required by state or federal statute is advisory in nature, is nonbinding on schools and educators, and does not have the force and effect of law.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 11, sponsored by Reps. Riordan T. McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) and Marilyn S. John (R-Shelby), which would establish the Backpack Scholarship Program to begin operating for the 2023-24 school year and repeal the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program and the Pilot Project Scholarship Program on July 1, 2024.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 1, sponsored by Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), which would modify the law regarding property taxation and income tax rates. Dr. Howard Fleeter, consultant for the Ohio Education Policy Institute (OEPI) provided a summary and analysis on the provisions of the bill. Click here to read that analysis.

Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee
The committee passed SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would allow a person aged 14 or 15 to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year if the person has parental or legal guardian consent.

Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 18, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), which would do the following:

  • Eliminate the obsolete requirement that school districts or school buildings in academic emergency or academic watch submit information to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) before approval of a three-year continuous improvement plan. It also eliminates the obsolete requirements for site evaluations for districts or buildings in academic emergency or academic watch. All the obsolete requirements in question expired on June 30, 2008;
  • Modify the type of communication through which ODE must distribute required notice of certain events or certain services;
  • Allow school districts to meet via electronic means to conduct a hearing for students and parents regarding notice to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles for excessive unexcused student absences from school;
  • Allow a county, township or municipal corporation to meet with a school district to discuss the terms of an agreement for the creation of a tax-exempt district;
  • Remove the requirement that a school district publish, in a newspaper of general circulation, notice of intent to donate property that is not needed, obsolete, or unfit for the district’s use with a value of less than $2,500; but maintain the requirement of continual posting of such notice in the school district board’s office; and permit a nonprofit organization to submit electronically its written notice to a school district board of its desire to obtain donated district property.

The committee held a second hearing on SB 23, sponsored by Sen. George F. Lang (R-West Chester), which would expand political subdivision joint purchasing authority to expressly include purchases for construction services.

Finally, the committee held a second hearing on SB 44, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which would require a state occupational licensing agency to accept electronic license applications.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a third hearing on SB 43, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which would extend the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran to spouses of a disabled veteran who dies before receiving a qualifying disability rating.

New Bills Introduced
The following bills were introduced this week:

  • HB 68, sponsored by Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), which would prohibit certain procedures to alter a minor child’s sex; and would designate this act as the Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act;
  • HB 70, sponsored by Reps. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), which would require schools to adopt a policy regarding the administration of over-the-counter drugs;
  • HB 71, sponsored y Rep. Nick Santucci (R-Howland Township), which would require ODE to establish the community connectors workforce program to support connecting students to jobs and internships in their communities; and require ESCs to administer the program to the school districts they serve;
  • HB 74, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) and Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville), which would establish a plan to migrate the state’s information technology systems to the state’s computer center and cloud environment and establish a cybersecurity and fraud advisory board;
  • HB 76, a companion bill to SB 18; sponsored by Reps. Hall and Andrea White (R-Kettering), which would modify state agency data storage and notification law;
  • HB 78, sponsored by Reps. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Joseph A. Miller, III (R-Amherst), which would change the State Teachers Retirement Board membership to allow superannuates to seek election as a contributing or retired member of the board; and change requirements of a contributing board member who retires or leaves employment and later seeks election as a retired board member;
  • HB 82, sponsored by Reps. Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta) and Gail K. Pavliga (R-Atwater), which would require school athletic coaches to complete mental health training each time they apply for or renew a pupil-activity program permit and provide evidence of completed training to the SBOE.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 3/3/2023