Ohio Education Policy Institute: New Reports form Dr. Howard Fleeter
Dr. Howard Fleeter has updated his report analyzing Ohio’s property tax trends from tax year (TY) 1975 to present. This report, originally published in February of 2024, now includes data from TY23. The updated analysis can be seen on OEPI’s website, linked here.
Dr. Fleeter has also released a review of Ohio’s state and local share percentages within our school funding formulas from fiscal year (FY) 1999 – FY2019. This report aims to provide historical context to current FY26 and FY27 biennial budget conversations. This report can be found on OEPI’s website, linked here.
The House passed House Bill (HB) 15, sponsored by Representative Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland), with a vote of 90-3. This bill makes changes to the competitive retail electric service law and makes changes regarding electric company property taxation. The bill, which was amended and passed out of the House Energy Committee earlier in the day, now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The committee held its first hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 144 with Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) providing sponsor testimony. This bill would make changes to educator licensure grade bands.
The committee held its third hearing on SB 19, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware), and heard proponent and interested party testimony. This bill would require districts and schools to develop a mathematics improvement and monitoring plan for each student who qualifies for math intervention services, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The committee adopted a substitute bill that:
- Requires the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (ODEW) to create a universal K-3 diagnostic assessment for math and reading;
- Tasks ODEW with reviewing core math curricula and creating a list of high-quality materials;
- Requires schools to report K-8 math curricula and instructional materials being used;
- Mandates that ODEW include on school report cards whether reading and math curricula used in school buildings are high quality;
- Requires districts to enroll seventh graders who score “accomplished” or “advanced” in math achievement in eighth grade Algebra I starting with the 2026-27 school year;
- Mandates that the State Board of Education assess the math proficiency of new applicants for education licenses, permitting the state board to issue a license to an applicant who does not demonstrate proficiency on an assessment but barring the educator from providing math instruction until they pass such an assessment.
The committee held its second hearing on SB 113, with Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) providing sponsor testimony. This bill would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion in public schools. The committee heard proponent testimony on the bill.
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 127 from Reps. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Mike Odioso (R-Green Twp.). This bill would permit schools to withhold directory information and remove directory information from the public record definition.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony from Reps. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta) on HB 114. This bill would alter age requirements for kindergarten admission.
Finally, the committee heard sponsor testimony from Rep. Bird on HB 145. This bill would raise the minimum number of school hours.
Senate Public Utilities Committee
The committee held its third hearing on SB 103, sponsored by Sen. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro). This bill would allow for alternative rate plans for natural gas companies to serve large load customers and make changes to the process of valuating natural gas company property. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill.
The committee held its third hearing on HB 79, sponsored by Reps. Joseph A. Miller (D-Amherst) and Bill Roemer (R-Richfield). This bill would increase the penalties for assault if the victim were acting as a sports official or the assault were committed in retaliation for the victim's actions as a sports official. The committee heard opponent testimony on the bill.
The committee also held a third hearing on HB 88, sponsored by Reps. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Phil Plummer (R-Dayton). This bill would, among other things, require public schools to incorporate instruction on fentanyl awareness and abuse prevention for grades K-12 and require boards of education to designate one week of the school year as "fentanyl poisoning awareness week." The committee heard opponent and interested party testimony on the bill.
House Ways and Means Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 30, sponsored by Reps. Mathews and Brian Lampton (R-Beavercreek). This bill would phase down the state income tax to a flat rate of 2.75% over two years.
The committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 10 from Reps. Klopfenstein and Jack Daniels (R-Akron). HB10 would require public school boards of education and ODEW to adopt policies prohibiting the purchase of “cultivated-protein food” products or food “misbranded as a meat or egg product”.
House Technology and Innovation Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 116, sponsored by Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.). This bill would enact the Ohio Blockchain Basics Act to address mining, taxation and regulation of digital assets and digital asset investments by the state retirement systems.
Recently introduced bills
- HB 190 – Sponsored by Reps. Jonathan Newman (R- Troy) and Josh Williams (R- Sylvania Township), this bill would enact the “Given Name Act” regarding the use of gendered pronouns in public schools.
- HB 191 – Sponsored by Reps. Miller and Michele Grim (D-Toledo), this bill would require that all school district and educational service center teachers be paid a salary of at least $50,000.
- HB 203 – Sponsored by Reps. Williams and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), this bill would increase penalties for vehicular assaults and vehicular homicides that occur in an active school zone, require doubled fines for specified traffic violations in an active school zone, and name this act “Aspen Runnels' Law”.
- SB 156 -- Sponsored by Sen. Al Cultrona (R-Canfield), this bill would require school boards of education to provide “success sequence” instruction in grades 6-12, an abstinence-based lifestyle curriculum.
Rules activity
The Department of Education and Workforce does not have any rules open for public comment at this time.
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.