House Activity
The House passed House Bill (HB) 214, sponsored by Rep. Adam Holmes (R-Nashport), by a vote of 64-30. The bill would require each public school to adopt a policy regarding certain expectations related to the performance of staff member professional duties. The amendment clarifies that schools cannot require employees of job applicants to offer an opinion about specific beliefs, affiliations, ideals or principles.

The House also passed HB 250, sponsored by Reps. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) and Tracy M. Richardson (R-Marysville), which revises the military enlistment diploma seal. The amendment renames the “military enlistment seal” to the “military seal” since the legislation makes students entering U.S. military academies or ROTC programs on scholarship eligible for the seal. 

Senate Activity
The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill (SB) 29, sponsored by Sen. Stephen A. Huffman (R-Tipp City), which would enact laws pertaining to technology providers for education records and data. The bill would require school districts to make public certain information regarding the technology providers they use. 

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held a fourth hearing on SB 17, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Mainesville), 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 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.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 312, sponsored by Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Tom Young (R-Washington Township), which would establish the Regional Partnerships Program. This program would require the Department of Education and Workforce and the Department of Higher Education to create, administer and oversee the prenatal-to-five early childhood to post-secondary regional partnerships program and to make an appropriation.

Senate Education Committee
The committee held a third hearing on and accepted a substitute version of SB 162, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware), which would require public schools to provide certain academic intervention services to each student who demonstrates a limited level in math and English language arts. The substitute version does the following: 

  • Allows a school to request to exempt students who would otherwise qualify for required services if they score at or above grade level in the last two diagnostic assessments and receive a C or its equivalent in the relevant subject.
  • Clarifies that services are to be evidence-based and additive in nature.
  • Allows schools to provide integrated student supports alongside intervention services.
  • Requires the Department of Education & Workforce to audit 5% of public school buildings for compliance with the bill's mandates and file a report within 75 days.

The committee also held a third hearing on SB 168, sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester). The bill would make the following changes:

  • Permit a school district to renew its exemption from certain statutory requirements every three years, rather than one three-year term only, and require the Department of Workforce and Education (DEW) to notify eligible districts about this exemption.
  • Permit school districts to develop and use their own frameworks for teacher evaluation, instead of using a framework developed by the State Board of Education.
  • Modify license or certificate qualifications for senior or lead professional educators, holders of a professional pupil services license, holders of professional administrator or alternative superintendent licenses, and nonteachers employed as teachers.
  • Eliminate seniority as a preference when making reductions in nonteaching staff positions.
  • Change certain professional development requirements related to dyslexia training and the coordination of continuing education and professional development.
  • Eliminate a requirement that districts enter supplemental contracts with teachers assigned to teach classes outside the normal school day.
  • Permit a school district to apply for a waiver from dyslexia screening requirements if the district proves that a student previously received a dyslexia screening in the prior school year.
  • Clarify that a school district is not required to hold a separate, individual public hearing on a proposed school calendar, but that the calendar may be addressed as part of another public hearing or meeting.
  • Remove several policies and programs from the laws governing the Department of Education and Workforce and the State Board of Education that are obsolete.

House Government Oversight Committee
The committee amended and passed HB 257, sponsored by Reps. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Thaddeus J. Claggett (R-Newark), which would authorize certain public bodies to meet virtually, including the School Employees Retirement Board. School boards, among other boards, are not included in the authorization. The amendment does the following: 

  • Requires that participants in a meeting can be seen during the proceedings;
  • Allows state central committees to vote by secret ballot if they choose to do so.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 311, sponsored by Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) and Justin Pizzulli (R-Scioto County), which would prohibit differing ticket prices for online and cash school-affiliated events and require a student ticket to be less than an adult priced ticket.

The committee accepted a substitute version of SB 91, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would make changes to laws regarding fraud, waste and abuse of public funds. The substitute version of the bill addresses issues raised by Governor DeWine in his HB 33 veto message. HB 33 had SB 91 provisions included in the bill which were line-itemed vetoed.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 263, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), which would authorize a property tax freeze for certain owner-occupied homes whose owners are 70 years and older and who earn less than $70,000 per year.

The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 254, sponsored by Reps. Adam Holmes (R-Nashport) and Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), which would expand the enhanced homestead exemption to 100% of a home’s true value from the current cap of $50,000; allow honorably discharged veterans who have a 100% disability rating to be eligible for the exemption; allow veterans with a disability rating of 70% or more to be eligible to exempt $10,000 of their home’s true value; and allow veterans with a disability rating of 50% to 70% to qualify for a $5,000 exemption.

The committee also heard sponsor testimony on HB 274, sponsored by Reps. Adam Matthews (R-Lebanon) and Richard Dell’Aquila (D-Seven Hills), which would authorize an enhanced property tax homestead exemption of $50,000 for long-term homeowners who meet certain eligibility requirements.

House Pension Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 310, sponsored by Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), which would require the State Teachers Retirement System board members to calculate the cost for each year of military service credit a member elects to purchase.

House Financial Institutions Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on a substitute version of HB 4, sponsored by Reps. Tom Young (R-Washington Township) and Angela King (R-Celina), which would prohibit state retirement boards, state institutions of higher education boards of trustees and the Administrator of Workers’ Compensation from making an investment decision primarily for environmental, social or governance (ESG) criteria purposes, among other provisions.

Senate Transportation Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 163, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard), which would create the "Dublin City Schools" license plate.

Senate Government Oversight Committee
The Committee heard sponsor testimony on 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. This bill also includes HB 6, which would enact the Save Women's Sports Act to require schools, state institutions of higher education and private colleges to designate separate single-sex teams and sports for each sex.

Department of Education and Workforce
The Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) announced this week that they will  hold their first public meeting Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 9 a.m. Interim Director Jessica Voltolini will preside. The announcement of the meeting can be found here. DEW will conduct a presentation that addresses all new information the Department has about its significant new or existing initiatives, policies or guidelines; any change to state or federal law that affects the Department or education stakeholders; and any administrative rule the Director of Education and Workforce intends to adopt, amend or rescind.

State Board of Education
The State Board of Education announced a timeline for hiring the state superintendent of public instruction.

  • Nov. 15 — Ray & Associates opens search for superintendent applications. 
  • Nov. 26 — deadline for interested candidates to apply.
  • Dec. 5 — Ray & Associates will present their top candidates to the board and the board will pick finalists for candidate interviews. 
  • Dec. 11 — the next state board of education meeting takes place where the top candidates will undergo first round interviews in executive session. The state board of education may vote to appoint a superintendent. 
  • Dec. 18 — The state board of education may have a potential special meeting to interview finalist candidates in executive session. The state board of education may vote to appoint a superintendent.

Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report which includes education related information.

Posted by Scott Palider on 11/17/2023