Voucher update
Lawmakers have yet to introduce a plan to revise changes to Ohio’s main voucher program, the Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship Program. Since September 2018, the number of voucher-eligible buildings has ballooned from 255 buildings to 1,227 buildings — a 381% increase. More than 70% of school districts now have a voucher-eligible building. Also, due to changes in the state budget bill, districts are losing millions of dollars due to voucher eligibility changes for private high school students.

With no immediate resolution in sight and a Feb. 1 deadline looming, there is less and less time remaining to react to what the legislature proposes. That means you must continue to contact your legislators and urge them to implement the short-term solutions proposed by a steering committee composed of members from OSBA, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. Click here for those solutions. Click here for contact information for key legislative leaders.

New laws
Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law the following bills:
• House Bill (HB) 2, which permits a collaboration of school districts, among others, to partner with industry sectors in order to be eligible for state grants to assist with hiring employees, developing curricula and educational resources and marketing workforce partnerships.
• HB 4, which requires the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to act as a liaison between the business community and the Ohio Department of Education or the chancellor of higher education with regard to industry-recognized credentials or certificate programs.

House Health Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 436, sponsored by Rep. Brian Baldridge (R-Winchester), which requires professional development for screening and intervention for children with dyslexia, requires school districts to establish structured literacy certification procedures and requires districts to employ specified ratios of structured literacy certified teachers.

Posted by Will Schwartz on 1/17/2020.