Governor’s activity  

On Wednesday, Governor DeWine gave his annual State of the State address. In his address, the governor recognized students, teachers, principals and superintendents from a multitude of Ohio’s public schools. He highlighted the state’s progress and successes in literacy, the Governor’s Merit Scholarship program, school-based health clinic expansion, student career exploration and workforce development training. Gov. DeWine asked the legislature to support various education proposals within the state operating budget, including his request for a mandatory school cell phone ban; expanding Ohio history and life skill curriculums; integrating drivers' education into high schools; and investments in the Ohio Principal Apprenticeship and OhioSEE programs. Gov. DeWine also revealed he has tapped Lt. Governor Tressel to lead a soon-to-be-announced initiative to promote physical fitness in Ohio schools. 

Senate Education Committee   

The committee heard sponsor testimony on House Bill (HB) 43 from Representatives Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) and David Thomas (R-Jefferson). HB 43 would waive minimum instructional hours for Ashtabula Lakeside High School due to extreme winter weather conditions this school year. 

The committee also heard sponsor testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 127 from Senator Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware). SB 127 would alter the closure requirements for poor-performing public schools.  

The committee held its third hearing on SB 7. Sponsored by Sen. Terry Johnson (R- McDermott), SB 7 would require all types of school districts to provide annual instruction to students in grades K-12 on the effects of short-term and chronic substance use, in a manner determined by the local school board. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.  

The committee held its third hearing on SB 34, sponsored by Sen. Johnson. This bill would require public school boards to select at least one of the bill's listed historical educational documents to display in each classroom by July 1, 2026. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill.  

House Education Committee  

The committee held first hearings on the following bills:  

  • HB 77, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Joseph A. Miller III (D-Amherst) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.); this bill would require the Department of Health to develop informational materials on type 1 diabetes for parents and guardians of elementary school students. 
  • HB 125, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Hall and Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria); this bill would permit excused absences from school to participate in 4-H and FFA programs. 
  • HB 62, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Justin Pizzulli (R-Scioto County) and Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond); this bill makes changes to the College Credit Plus program, including requiring notice to school districts when a student drops a college course, transitioning to open-source textbooks, and lowering the cost of certain online CCP courses. 
  • HB 97, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Darnell T. Brewer (D-Cleveland) and Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus); this bill would require public schools to provide free meals to students regardless of their ability to pay. 
  • HB 117, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Tracy M. Richardson (R-Marysville) and Sean P. Brennan (D-Parma); this bill would require the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. 
  • HB 57, with sponsor testimony provided by Reps. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Josh Williams (R- Sylvania Twp.); this bill would require any public or nonpublic school that elects to keep a supply of an overdose reversal drug for emergency use to adopt and implement a policy regarding the supply’s maintenance and the drug’s use. The bill also permits a school to accept monetary donations for the purchase of overdose reversal drugs and requires a school superintendent to report any use of an overdose reversal drug to the Department of Education and Workforce, the school’s governing body, and the parent or guardian of the student to whom the drug was administered. 

Senate Energy Committee  

The committee held its fifth hearing on SB 2, sponsored by Senator Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin). The bill makes changes to the competitive retail electric service law and makes changes regarding electric company property taxation. The committee heard proponent, opponent and interested party testimony on the bill. The committee accepted a substitute version of the bill that would rebrand the proposed Solar Fund for Schools Program to the School Efficiency Loan Program, which would provide loans for energy efficiency programs rather than for school roof solar panel installations. 

Senate Transportation Committee  

The committee adopted a substitute version of HB 54, the transportation budget bill, sponsored by Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Ashville). Amongst other things, the substitute version authorizes school districts to utilize 12-passenger vehicles for regular student transportation. 

House Finance Committee  

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the committee heard public testimony on House Bill (HB) 96, the House’s version of the FY26-27 state operating budget, from: 

  • Ryan Pendleton, executive director of Shared Services Alliance  
  • Michael Hanlon, superintendent, Chardon Local (Geauga) schools  
  • Katie Johnson, OASBO 
  • Kristine Blind, treasurer, London City Schools 
  • Jennifer Bruns, treasurer, St. Henry Consolidated Schools 
  • Terrah Stacy, treasurer, and Carrie Hester, superintendent, of Springboro Community City Schools 
  • Dr. Howard Fleeter, Ohio Education Policy Institute 
  • Anthony Thomas, superintendent, Northmont City Schools 
  • Randy Drewyor, treasurer, Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools 
  • Chad Lensman, superintendent, Graham Local Schools 
  • John Espy, treasurer, Loveland City Schools 
  • Jennifer Hogue, OSBA 
  • Dr. Dorthee Bouquet, Yellow Springs Exempted Village 
  • Amy Bailey, Yellow Springs Exempted Village 
  • Dr. Tracy R. Reed, Reynoldsburg City Schools 
  • Sally S. Green, Tuscarawas Valley (Tuscarawas) Local Schools 
  • Bill Wade, Mentor Exempted Village Schools 
  • Troy Armstrong, superintendent, Wauseon Exempted Village Schools on behalf of the Fulton County Superintendents 
  • Joyce Dupont, Norwalk City Schools 
  • Tracy Russ, Licking Heights Local Schools 
  • Kandee Engle, Southwest Licking Local Schools 
  • Abby Lorenzen, treasurer, Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center 
  • Dr. Paul Imhoff, BASA  
  • Craig Buford, OESCA 
  • John Teevan, Ashland City Schools 
  • Vangela Barnes, Canal Winchester Local Schools  
  • Nick Roberts, treasurer, Canal Winchester Local Schools 
  • Kirk Koennecke, superintendent, Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools  
  • Dr. Jeffery T. Wise, superintendent, Pandora-Gilboa Local Schools  
  • Daniel Rambler, superintendent, Sandusky City Schools 
  • Kevin Stockdale, treasurer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District 
  • Claudia Zaler, treasurer, Minford Local School District 
  • Robert Kuehnle, treasurer, Black River Local School District 
  • Mark Ingles, treasurer, Jonathan Alder Local School District 
  • Billy Smith, superintendent, Fairfield City School District  
  • Kent R. Zeman, treasurer, Lakewood City Schools 

House Children and Human Services Committee  

The committee held its second hearing on HB 7, sponsored by Reps. Andrea White (R-Kettering) and Sharon A. Ray (R-Wadsworth). HB 7 would make foster caregivers and kinship caregivers eligible for publicly funded child care, regardless of income. The committee heard proponent and interested party testimony on the bill.  

House Government Oversight Committee  

The committee held its first hearing on HB 42 with Reps. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) and Williams offering sponsor testimony. This bill would require certain agencies, including the Department of Education and Workforce, to collect and report data concerning the citizenship or immigration status of persons with whom they come into contact.  

House Transportation Committee  

The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 3 from Reps. Bernard Willis (R-Springfield) and Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati). HB 3, the “School Bus Safety Act”, would appropriate $25 million to create a School Bus Safety Grant Fund at ODEW to assist districts with the cost of installing safety features on new and existing school buses. The bill would also increase the penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus and designate August as “School Bus Safety Month”. 

House Ways and Means Committee  

The committee held its second hearing on HB 40, sponsored by Reps. Richardson and Michael D. Dovilla (R-Berea). HB 40 would increase the enhanced homestead exemption for certain disabled veterans. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill. 

The committee held its third hearing on HB 22, sponsored by Reps. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Thomas. This bill would authorize a full homestead exemption for surviving spouses of members of the uniformed services killed in the line of duty. No witnesses were present to testify on the bill.  

The committee held its third hearing on HB 28, sponsored by Reps. Adam Matthews (R-Lebanon) and Hall. HB 28 would eliminate the authority to levy replacement property tax levies. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill, including joint testimony from OSBA, BASA and OASBO.  

House Energy Committee  

The committee held its fourth hearing on HB 15, sponsored by Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland). This bill makes changes to the competitive retail electric service law and makes changes regarding electric company property taxation. The committee accepted a substitute version of the bill, which replaced previous provisions on Tangible Personal Property taxation with language that maintains the current 25% TPP on existing infrastructure and reduces it to 7% for new generation and the conversion or updating of power plants.  

New bills introduced  

  • SB 144 - Sponsored by Sen. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), this bill would make changes to educator licensure grade bands.  
  • HB 164 – Sponsored by Reps. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) and Miller, this bill would reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee and make an appropriation for operating expenses.  
  • HB 165 – Sponsored by Reps. Miller and Brewer, this bill would allocate $750,000 each year to reimburse licensed educators for implicit bias training.  

Rules activity  

The Department of Education and Workforce has the following draft rules open for public comment at this time:  

  • Chapter 3301-11: Educational Choice Scholarship Program 
    • OAC 3301-11-01: Definitions 
    • OAC 3301-11-04: Eligibility for program participation 
    • OAC 3301-11-05: Application for program participation 
    • OAC 3301-11-07: Awarding scholarships 
    • OAC 3301-11-09: Termination of eligibility 
    • OAC 3301-11-10: Payment of scholarship amounts 
    • OAC 3301-11-11: Participation by chartered nonpublic schools 

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 3/14/2025