Senate activity
The Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 6, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), by a 26-7 vote. The bill would prohibit the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and School Employment Retirement System (SERS), among others, from making investment decisions for the primary purpose of influencing environmental, social and corporate governance policies. The bill now moves to the Ohio House.
Senate Education Committee
The Senate Education committee held an eighth hearing on House Bill (HB) HB 33, the biennial budget. OSBA, the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) provided proponent testimony. Read the testimony here. Additional testimony was provided by:
- Dr. Howard Fleeter, consultant, Ohio Education Policy Institute;
- Dr. Kevin S. Miller, superintendent, Licking Heights Local (Licking);
- Brian Bagley, board member, Licking Heights Local (Licking);
- Todd Griffith, treasurer, Licking Heights Local (Licking);
- Thomas L. Hosler, superintendent, Perrysburg EV;
- Dr. Michael P Hanlon Jr., superintendent, Chardon Local (Geauga);
- David Larson, superintendent, Miami County ESC;
- Shannon Cox, superintendent, Montgomery County ESC;
- Lori Snyder-Lowe, superintendent, Muskingum Valley ESC;
- Doug Hale, superintendent, Chesapeake Union EV;
- Joseph G. Spiccia, superintendent, Wickliffe City;
- Dr. Jan Osborn, superintendent, Putnam County ESC;
- Nicole Marshall, treasurer, Westerville City
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee passed HB 117, sponsored by Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Phillip M. Robinson Jr. (D-Solon), which would eliminate retention under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and expand the grades for which intensive reading intervention is provided. The bill also modifies the English language arts assessment to be administered once in the third grade and expands the inclusion of phonics in learning standards. OSBA, OAESA, BASA and OASBO provided proponent testimony. Read the testimony here.
The committee also held its second hearing on HB 103, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), which would establish the Ohio Social Studies Standards Task Force to develop new social studies academic standards for use beginning with the 2024-25 school year.
The committee held its fourth hearing for HB 8, sponsored by Reps. D. J. Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara P. Carruthers (R-Hamilton). The bill would enact the Parents Bill of Rights to require public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification regarding student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexually explicit content. Testifying in opposition of the bill were:
House Higher Education Committee
The committee passed HB 6, sponsored by Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum), which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act. The bill would require schools, state institutions of higher education and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex.
House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee passed Senate Bill (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.
The committee also passed Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 2, sponsored by Schaffer, which urges Congress to make changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow a person under 16 years of age to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year.
House Pensions Committee
The committee held its second hearing on HB 146, sponsored by Rep. Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati), which would require the School Employees Retirement Board to establish the contribution-based benefit cap (CBBC), a limit on the retirement allowance a member may receive. The bill also requires the board to calculate a member’s CBBC based on the member’s contributions converted to an annuity and multiplied by the CBBC factor designated by the board, reducing the member’s retirement allowance to an amount equal to the member’s CBBC if the retirement allowance would exceed the CBBC. If passed, the CBBC provisions would take effect Aug. 1, 2024.
House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee held a fourth hearing on SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), which would rename the Ohio 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 following provided testimony:
- Polly Taylor-Gerken, board member, Toledo City;
- Dr. Tom Goodney, superintendent, ESC of Central Ohio.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held its second hearing on SB 43, sponsored by Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), which would modify the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran.
House State and Local Government Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 145, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Middletown) and Brian Lampton (R-Fairborn). The bill expands political subdivision joint purchasing authority to expressly include purchases for construction services.
State Board of Education update
The State Board of Education met May 8-9 to conduct official business. It appointed Chris Woolard as interim state superintendent. In addition to appointing Woolard, the board passed a resolution seeking an opinion from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on SB 1.
Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.