Facts in a Flash

Governor’s activity  

Gov. Mike DeWine has announced the creation of the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program at the Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). The grant program will provide $10 million in competitive grants to eligible applicants for the repair, replacement or addition of authorized school bus safety features to school buses in active service or for safety enhancements added to the purchase of…

Property Tax Reform Workgroup releases recommendations  

On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine’s Property Tax Reform Workgroup released its recommendations for property tax reform. Recommendations of critical interest to education advocates include:   

• Refining the process and definition of county budget commissions to allow them to reduce levies deemed "unnecessary" (revenues beyond anticipated needs) or "excessive" (taxes materially exceeding service requirements). Reductions could occur five years after a levy is first approved,…

OEPI property tax report and webinar 

The Ohio Educational Policy Institute (OEPI) released a property tax policy analysis, Analysis of Residential Property Taxes in Ohio: A Balanced Approach to Reform, that illustrates how Ohio’s reliance on local control, along with economic factors and state tax policy changes, has led to a significant shift in the state-local funding partnership toward residential taxpayers. 

Key takeaways from this report include: …

Governor’s activity 

Gov. Mike DeWine announced the membership of the Property Tax Reform Working Group, formed in response to his House Bill (HB) 96 vetoes. The work group includes:  

• Co-Chairman Pat Tiberi, President and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable 
• Co Chairman Bill Seitz, former State Representative  
• Krista Bohn, Allen County Treasurer 
• Chris Galloway, Lake County Auditor …

House Bill (HB) 96 

District-by-district funding simulations of the state budget’s school funding formula for FY 2026-27 can be seen here. Simulations for joint vocational school districts can be seen here.  

The Ohio House will convene on Monday, July 21, at…

Governor DeWine signs state operating budget  

On Monday, Governor Mike DeWine signed the state’s next two-year budget, House Bill (HB) 96 into law. Before signing, the governor issued 67 line-item vetoes. View Gov. DeWine’s press conference on his decisions here and read his…

Legislature passes state biennial budget  

This week, the General Assembly passed the state’s next two-year budget, House Bill (HB) 96. After receiving a report from the HB 96 Conference Committee, the House passed the bill with a vote of 59-38 and the …

House activity  

Ty Moore was sworn into the chamber as the representative for House District 95, filling a vacancy left by former Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport). Rep. Jones resigned from his legislative role following his appointment as executive director of the Ohio Farm Service Agency.  

Budget Conference Committee  

The…

Register for our webinar on House Bill (HB) 335 

Last week, the Ohio House introduced House Bill (HB) 335, a sweeping property tax reform bill that removes the ability to levy inside millage and combines elements from several prior proposals (HB 129, HB 186, and HB 309). It would fundamentally change how property taxes are levied, limited and allocated in Ohio, with devastating implications for public school districts.  

Dr. Howard Fleeter of the Ohio Education Policy…

ODEW Division of Primary and Secondary Education Deputy announced  

Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) Director Stephen D. Dackin announced Monday his recommendation of Dr. Diane M. Allen to be appointed the first deputy director of the Department’s Division of Primary and Secondary Education. Allen most recently served as superintendent of Marysville EV, leading the district since 2012. Restructured in the fiscal year (FY)24-25 state operating budget, ODEW now encompasses two separate divisions: one centered on primary and secondary…