OEPI property tax report and webinar 

The Ohio Educational Policy Institute (OEPI) released a property tax policy analysis, Analysis of Residential Property Taxes in Ohio: A Balanced Approach to Reform, that illustrates how Ohio’s reliance on local control, along with economic factors and state tax policy changes, has led to a significant shift in the state-local funding partnership toward residential taxpayers. 

Key takeaways from this report include: 

  • Rising home values, slow economic growth and 20 years of state tax policy changes have intensified local school funding challenges. 
  • Homeowners and farmers now carry 67.5% of school property taxes, up from 46.1% in 1975. Meanwhile, the business share has nearly been cut in half. 
  • Cuts and eliminations of state taxes have reduced state support, forcing schools and local governments to raise property taxes. This has left Ohio with the eighth-highest property tax rate nationally. In contrast, the state’s overall tax burden ranks 46th. 

  This imbalance creates growing pressure on communities and limits how schools can fund essential services for students. 

Please join OEPI, BASA, OASBO and OSBA on Monday, Sept. 29 at 1:00 pm for a webinar reviewing this report’s findings and how you can utilize this information to be an advocate for your district. The link to register for the webinar can be found here.  

Note: The September LLN monthly meeting will be canceled for this event. 

Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting  

The Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting held first hearings on House Bill (HB) 442 and Senate Bill (SB) 259, identical bills which include the Democratic lawmakers’ proposed congressional map. Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), Sen. Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton), and Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) provided sponsor testimony on the bills, followed by hours of public testimony.  

Republican lawmakers have yet to introduce bills outlining their proposed congressional maps. This committee will need to reach a bipartisan agreement by the initial Sept. 30 deadline established by the Ohio Constitution. Failure to do so would result in the task of mapmaking being transferred to the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and if that panel fails to produce a bipartisan plan, the General Assembly will have to act under more stringent guidelines to pass a map by the end of November. 

House General Government Committee  

The committee heard testimony from Superintendent Paul Craft with the State Board of Education, who provided a statutorily required review of current education licenses and processes.  

House Ways and Means Committee  

The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 309, sponsored by Rep. Dave Thomas (R-Jefferson). This bill would modify the law governing county budget commissions, property taxation and alternative apportionment formulas for school districts, among other taxing units. A link to a comparison document that details the changes to the bill can be found here. 

The committee accepted a substitute version of HB 129 from Rep. Thomas. This bill would limit school districts’ ability to reallocate unvoted property tax millage and include certain property and school district income taxes in the calculation of a school district's effective millage floor. The substitute bill:

  • Removes the provision that would have changed the purpose of a school district emergency levy for the district’s emergency requirements or to avoid an operating deficit to paying the district’s current expenses. 
  • Removes the provision that would have disallowed the renewal of current emergency levies. 
  • Removes the provision that would have renamed emergency levies as “fixed-sum levies” in ballot language. 
  • Removes the provision that would have disallowed school districts from submitting new substitute levies to voters for approval. 
  • Removes the provision that would have prohibited a school board from shifting the purpose of its inside millage to increase its overall property tax collections due to the operation of a millage floor. 

A comparison document detailing additional changes to the bill can be found here. 

HB 186, sponsored by Reps. James M. Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Thomas, got its fifth hearing. The committee accepted a substitute version of the bill. Unlike the original version of the bill, which was prospective, the new version retroactively applies to tax years 2023 and 2024. 

The Legislative Service Commission provided the following documents summarizing the changes made in the sub-bill: 

  • District-by-district simulations of the property tax revenue impact, click here; 
  • A summary of the bill’s policy changes, click here; and 
  • A summary of the statewide impact of the bill, click here. 

Please review these new measures and call your House Representative to share the impact it would have on your students.  

House Education Committee  

The committee heard a presentation from Dr. Chris Woolard, chief integration officer for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). Dr. Woolard provided a high-level overview of the state report card results. 

The committee held its first hearing on House Continuing Resolution (HCR) 22. HCR 22, sponsored by Reps. Bill Roemer (R–Richfield) and Jack K. Daniels (R-New Franklin), would encourage students in grades one through twelve to read the U.S. Declaration of Independence in the classroom during the 2025-2026 school year in celebration of its 250th anniversary. 

House Judiciary Committee 
The committee held its first hearing on HB 256, sponsored by Reps. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) and Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Township). The bill would make changes to the law regarding child custody for unwed parents.  

Recently introduced bills  

  • SB 272 – Sponsored by Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), this bill would require a civics assessment in lieu of the American government end-of-course exam. 
  • HB 462 – Sponsored by Rep. Tracy Richardson (R-Marysville), this bill would permit the student use of a nasal epinephrine delivery device. 
  • HB 466 – Sponsored by Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta), this bill would require certain subdivisions to obtain the approval of the body that created the subdivision before levying a property tax. 

Rules activity  

ODEW has the following rules open for public comment:  

  • Chapter 3301-35: Standards for Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade 
    • OAC 3301-35-01: Purpose and definitions. 
    • OAC 3301-35-02: Governance, leadership, and strategic planning.  
    • OAC 3301-35-03: Blended learning.  
    • OAC 3301-35-04: Student and other stakeholder focus. 
    • OAC 3301-35-05: Faculty and staff focus.  
    • OAC 3301-35-06: Educational programs and support.  
    • OAC 3301-35-07: Data-driven improvement.  
    • OAC 3301-35-08: Non-chartered, non-tax supported school.  
    • OAC 3301-35-09: Chartered nonpublic schools. 
    • OAC 3301-35-15: Standards for the implementation of positive behavior intervention supports and the use of restraint and seclusion.  
    • OAC 3301-35-16: Online learning.  
  • Chapter 3301-44: Adult Diploma Pilot Program  
    • OAC 3301-44-01: Purpose. 
    • OAC 3301-44-02: Definitions. 
    • OAC 3301-44-03: Provider application. 
    • OAC 3301-44-04: Provider requirements. 
    • OAC 3301-44-05: Enrollment. 
    • OAC 3301-44-06: Requirements to earn a high school diploma. 
    • OAC 3301-44-07: Provider funding. 
    • OAC 3301-44-08: Contracting educational services. 
    • OAC 3301-44-09: Standards for competency-based education. 
  • Chapter 3301-45: Adult High School Diplomas 
    • OAC 3301-45-01: Purpose. 
    • OAC 3301-45-02: Definitions.  
    • OAC 3301-45-03: Provider application.   
    • OAC 3301-45-04: Provider requirements. 
    • OAC 3301-45-05: Enrollment. 
    • OAC 3301-45-06: Measurement of provider performance.   
    • OAC 3301-45-07: Process to earn a high school diploma.    
    • OAC 3301-45-08: Contracting educational services. 
    • OAC 3301-45-09: District of residence. 
    • OAC 3301-45-10: Standards for competency-based education. 
  • Chapter 3301-13: Proficiency Tests  
    • OAC 3301-13-02: Administering state tests at the designated grades. 

Click here to view the ODEW rules open for public comment.  

The State Board of Education does not have any rules open for public comment at this time.  

Federal update 

Please click here to read the most recent Federal Advocacy Report, which includes up-to-date information on federal education efforts.  

Posted by Malania Birney on 9/26/2025