State report card reform
Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and Phillip M. Robinson, Jr. (D-Solon) announced at a press conference the introduction of House Bill (HB) 200. The bill would revise the state report card and school accountability systems. OSBA participated in the press conference.

Congress
President Joe Biden signed House Resolution 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The legislation contains several education-related items, including $122 billion for elementary and secondary education, received through formula grants to states, at least 90% of which must support local educational agencies’ coronavirus-response activities. Funds will be distributed to states using the Every Student Succeeds Act Title I-A formula. Additional funding in the legislation includes $2.5 billion for IDEA Part B and $7 billion for E-rate. Click here to read a summary of the education-related provisions.

Governor activity
Gov. Mike DeWine announced that student athletes participating in spring sports will not be required to quarantine if they have an incidental exposure to COVID-19 in a classroom unless symptoms develop. Additionally, DeWine announced that ESCs will receive COVID-19 rapid tests that can be distributed to K-12 schools.

General Assembly activity
The General Assembly sent Senate Bill (SB) 22 to Gov. Mike DeWine. The bill would establish the Ohio Health Oversight and Advisory Committee to provide legislative oversight of all executive orders issued during an emergency and require a vote by the General Assembly. Earlier in the week, the House State and Local Government Committee accepted a substitute version of the bill that extends the ability of the legislature to review orders issued by commissions, agencies and statewide officers. Additionally, it allows the state to be sued in local court.

Senate activity
The Senate passed SB 19 by a vote of 25-8. The bill requires the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and other state agencies to reduce regulatory restrictions by 30% by 2025.

Senate Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held an informal hearing on HB 67, sponsored by Reps. J. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) and Adam C. Bird (R-New Richmond), which exempts schools from the requirement to administer the American history end-of-course exam; provides flexibility on the administration of state assessments by lengthening the testing windows; extends the use of final course grades in lieu of end-of-course exams through the 2023-24 school year; and requires ODE to seek a federal waiver from accountability requirements. OSBA, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO), the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators and the Alliance for High Quality Education provided proponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony. Additional proponent testimony was provided by Darrell Edwards, superintendent, Goshen Local (Clermont).

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 170, sponsored by Reps. Bird and Tracy M. Richardson (R-Marysville), which provides funding to schools and other entities through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 100, sponsored by Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), which dissolves the currently established academic distress commissions and prohibits the creation of new academic distress commissions.

The committee held a second hearing on HB 34, sponsored by Rep. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), which requires public and private schools to transmit a transferred student's records within five school days. Testifying in support of the bill were:

House Finance Committee

The committee held a seventh hearing on HB 110, which makes operating appropriations for the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 biennium.

Senate Finance Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 111, sponsored by Sens. Louis W. Blessing, III (R-Colerain Township) and Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which provides funding to schools and other entities through ESSER in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 123, which modifies community reinvestment areas by increasing school districts’ approval for an exemption from 50% to 75% and eliminates the requirement for revenue sharing, among other changes. OSBA, OASBO and BASA provided opponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony.

The committee held a third hearing on HB 126, which requires school boards to pass a resolution approving a property valuation complaint or counter-complaint prior to filing that complaint and also send written notice to the property owner indicating intent to file a complaint or counter-complaint. OSBA, OASBO, BASA and the Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities provided opponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony. Testifying in opposition of the bill were:

The committee held a second hearing on HB 140, sponsored by Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township), which modifies the form of election notices and ballot language for property tax levies.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 57, sponsored by Sens. Bob D. Hackett (R-London) and Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), which exempts from property taxation qualifying housing provided by a charitable organization to individuals diagnosed with mental illness or a substance use disorder.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 19, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which establishes a property tax exemption for certain property used for wetland mitigation projects.

The committee held a fourth hearing on SB 18, which expressly incorporates changes in the Internal Revenue Code into Ohio law as it relates to changes in federal adjusted gross income that impact school districts that levy income taxes.

The committee held a second hearing on HB 157, sponsored by Reps. Kris Jordan (R-Ostrander) and Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), which repeals a provision of law that modifies municipal income tax employer withholding rules for COVID-19-related work-from-home employees.

House Financial Institutions Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 133, sponsored by Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville), which provides a reduced property valuation for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022 for eligible individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other changes. OSBA, OASBO and BASA provided opponent testimony. Click here to read the testimony.

Senate Financial Institutions and Technology Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 62, sponsored by Sen. Bob D. Hackett (R-London), which provides a reduced property valuation for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022 for eligible individuals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other changes.

The committee held a second hearing on HB 2, sponsored by Reps. Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) and Brian Stewart (R-Ashville), which establishes the residential broadband expansion program.

House Commerce and Labor Committee
The committee amended HB 23, which requires peace officers to undergo dementia-related training. The amendment moves the responsibility of the training from the state attorney general to the county job and family services office.

House Insurance Committee
The committee held a third hearing on HB 122, which establishes and modifies requirements regarding the provision of telehealth services of school psychologists, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, among others.

House Families, Aging and Human Services Committee
The committee held a second hearing on HB 83, sponsored by Reps. C. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield), which makes changes to child support laws with regard to caretakers.

The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 145, sponsored by Reps. Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville) and Andrea White (R-Kettering), which modifies eligibility for publicly funded child care by increasing the eligibility threshold from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty line.

Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 51, sponsored by Sens. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) and Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus), which increases the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025 and allows municipalities, townships and counties to establish minimum wage requirements higher than the state minimum wage.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 66, sponsored Sen. Sandra R. Williams (D-Cleveland), which establishes a career pathways apprentice program.

House Infrastructure and Rural Development Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 91, sponsored by Rep. Thomas F. Patton (R-Strongsville), which allows school districts, among others, to enter into a public-private agreement as it relates to certain public facilities; establishes a framework for public-private agreements; and provides a property tax exemption on properties involved in a public-private agreement.

State Board of Education
The State Board of Education passed a resolution by a vote of 16-1 to encourage legislative changes to graduation for the class of 2021. The resolution urges lawmakers to permit graduation flexibility for seniors in danger of not graduating to allow the use of:

  • final course grades from this year in lieu of end-of-course exams; 
  • workplace readiness criteria already in place in the current OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal; 
  • the recommendation of the student’s principal in consultation with teachers and counselors.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 3/12/2021