Senate Finance Committee
The committee heard testimony on House Bill (HB) 166, which makes appropriations for the state operating budget for fiscal years (FY) 2020 and 2021, including the school-funding formula. OSBA and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators offered joint testimony on the bill, which can be accessed here.
Several school district representatives also offered testimony, including:
• Dr. Ellen McWilliams-Woods, assistant superintendent, Akron City;
• Ryan Pendleton, treasurer, Akron City;
• Thomas L. Hosler II, superintendent, Perrysburg EV;
• Michael Sobul, treasurer, Granville EV;
• Jenni L. Logan, treasurer, Lakota Local (Butler);
• Dr. Michael Barnes, superintendent, Lakewood City
• Emily Hatfield, treasurer, Olentangy Local (Delaware);
• Mark T. Raiff, superintendent, Olentangy Local (Delaware);
• Brian D. Hamler, superintendent, Whitehall City;
• Stephen E. McAfee, treasurer, Whitehall City;
• Dr. Philip Wagner, superintendent, Licking Heights Local (Licking);
• Todd Griffith, treasurer, Licking Heights Local (Licking);
• Timothy Ryan Jenkins, treasurer, Pickerington Local (Fairfield);
• Paul Craft, superintendent, Delaware City;
• Dr. Joyce L. Malainy, superintendent, C-TEC of Licking County;
• Matthew Ketcham, treasurer, Madison-Champaign ESC;
• Edward Bosse Jr., board member, Ross Local (Butler);
• Jeffrey Dornbusch, board member, Benton-Carroll-Salem Local (Ottawa).
Senate Education Committee
The committee conducted an informal hearing on academic distress commissions. Several school district representatives testified, including:
• Dr. Eugene T.W. Sanders, superintendent, Sandusky City;
• Dr. Jill Ackerman, superintendent, Lima City;
• Dr. Elizabeth Lolli, superintendent, Dayton City;
• William E. Harris Jr., board member, Dayton City;
• Dr. Mary E. Rice, board member, East Cleveland City;
• Mark Ballard, board member, Lorain City;
• Stephanie Eichenberg, board member, Toledo City;
• Chris Varwig, board member, Toledo City;
• Brenda Kimble, board member, Youngstown City;
• Ronald Shadd, board member, Youngstown City;
• Eric Resnick, board member, Canton City.
House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee conducted first hearings on the following bills:
• HB 165, sponsored by Reps. Beth Liston (D-Dublin) and Tavia Galonski (D-Akron), which would require the adoption of health education standards that may be used by public schools.
• HB 239, sponsored by Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus), which reduces the number of required high school state tests and requires school districts to form work groups to evaluate the amount of district-required testing and make reduction recommendations.
The committee also conducted a third hearing on HB 164, which deals with student religious expression in public schools.
House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee accepted substitute versions of the following bills:
• HB 2, which creates a regional workforce partnership grant program under which school districts, career centers and others are eligible for grants to partner with employers. Click here for a discussion of the changes.
• HB 4, which authorizes the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to develop an industry-recognized credential or a certificate program in response to a petition from an Ohio employer. Click here for a discussion of the changes.
House Finance Committee
The committee passed Senate Bill 4, which adds $100 million to the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission budget for eight districts with shovel-ready projects.
The committee also conducted two hearings on HB 194, which legalizes and regulates sports gaming and earmarks a portion of the sports gaming profits for education. The committee also accepted a substitute version of the bill, which is summarized here.
House Health Committee
The committee accepted an amendment to HB 90, which would require public schools to implement instructional programs regarding the humanity of the unborn child. The amendment revises the timing by which schools must implement the instruction from just one year to either one year or by the beginning of the next full academic year, whichever is longer.