Senate activity
The Senate passed House Bill (HB) 21, sponsored by Rep. Stephen D. Hambley (R-Brunswick), The bill requires charter schools, instead of school districts, to verify charter school student residency and enrollment. The bill also delays a requirement for public and private schools to install storm shelters until after Sept. 15, 2019. The bill now goes to the House for a concurrence vote.
The Senate passed HB 438, sponsored by Reps. Stephen D. Hambley (R-Brunswick) and Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville). The bill affects the composition and annexation of educational service centers and local school districts and requires the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission to conduct a third round of classroom facilities grant funding for high-performing community schools. The bill now goes to the House for a concurrence vote.
Finally, the Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 246, sponsored by Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering). The bill deals with positive behavioral intervention supports (PBIS) and suspension and expulsion policies for students in grades prekindergarten through three and appropriates $2 million for PBIS frameworks and social and emotional learning initiatives. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
House Education and Career Readiness Committee
The committee passed the following bills:
• HB 540, which revises the statewide teacher evaluation framework;
• HB 108, which requires one-half unit of instruction in financial literacy;
• HB 428, which deals with student religious expression in public schools;
• HB 502, which requires certain public school employees to undergo biennial youth suicide awareness and prevention training.
The committee conducted its ninth hearing on HB 200, which would establish a statewide, income-based voucher program for students at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. The following school district representatives submitted opposition testimony to the bill:
• Dick Smith, board member, Marysville EV;
• Chris Varwig, board member, Toledo City;
• Patrick Schymanski, board member, Elida Local (Allen);
• Perry Lefevre, board member, Toledo City.
Click here to access their testimony.
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 591, sponsored by Rep. Mike Duffey (R-Worthington). The bill revises the Ohio School Report Card rating system for school districts and public schools. Dr. J. Kip Crain, superintendent of Wayne County Schools Career Center, testified in support of the bill. Click here for a copy of his testimony.
The committee approved amendments to and heard proponent testimony on SB 216, sponsored by Sen. Matt Huffman (R-Lima). The bill would enact the Ohio Public School Deregulation Act dealing with the administration of primary and secondary education programs. J. Chris Pfister, superintendent of Waynesfield-Goshen Local (Auglaize), testified in support of the bill. Click here for a copy of his testimony. The amendments include the following provisions:
• allows only the third-grade state tests to be administered in paper;
• adjusts the n-size number to 10;
• requires the State Board of Education to revise the OTES framework, instead of the Ohio Department of Education.
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 549, sponsored by Rep. Steven M. Arndt (R-Port Clinton). The bill would require public and private schools to open for instruction after Labor Day.
Finally, the committee heard sponsor testimony on HB 628, sponsored by Reps. Dick Stein (R-Norwalk) and Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton). The bill creates an alternative pathway for qualifying for a resident educator license.
Senate Education Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 289, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard). The bill authorizes student expulsions for communicating a threat of violence to occur on school grounds.
The committee conducted its third hearing on HB 87, which requires funds that are returned to the state because of a community school enrollment audit to be credited back to certain public school districts. No witnesses were present to testify.
The committee conducted its third hearing on SB 241, which creates a new category of nonpublic schools called “accredited nonpublic schools” and exempts such schools from certain state requirements.
Senate Finance Committee
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 318, sponsored by Reps. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and Sarah LaTourette (R-Chesterland). The bill prescribes qualifications and training requirements for school resource officers and appropriates $10 million for grants to public and private schools for school safety programs and training.
House Health Committee
The committee conducted its third hearing on HB 559, which would require health care providers use state-developed immunization forms when documenting a child's immunization history.