Upcoming Events

Biennial Budget Webinar
March 2, noon-1p.m.

OASBO, BASA, and OSBA will be presenting a webinar on the biennial budget proposal put forth by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. The webinar will discuss the proposed budget which includes additional phase-in of the Fair School Funding Plan. The webinar is open to members of all three organizations. Don't miss this important opportunity to learn about the proposed biennial budget. Click here to register.

State Legislative Conference
March 21, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square Columbus

Attendees will have an opportunity to hear briefings on proposed legislation and hear from legislative leaders about their respective views and priorities related to public education. Attendees are asked to schedule office appointments with legislators between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Click here to register.

Upcoming Testimony Opportunity
Senate Education Chair Andrew O. Brenner (R-Delaware) is holding proponent, opponent and interested party testimony on Senate Bill (SB) 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 3pm. School board members who wish to testify can submit written or provide in-person testimony. All testimony must be submitted electronically along with an attached witness slip to aaron.riggins@ohiosenate.gov no later than 24 hours prior to the scheduled committee meeting. Click here for the witness slip. Chair Brenner has indicated a possible vote on SB 1 at the Feb. 28 hearing.

House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education
The committee held testimony on the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The following individuals provided testimony:

Senate Education Committee
The committee amended SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), which would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and would create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The amendments would make the following changes to the bill:

  • require the Director of Education and Workforce to appoint an individual with appropriate educational, professional, or managerial experience as the Deputy Director of Primary and Secondary Education or Career-Technical Education;
  • require DEW to establish a stakeholder outreach process when engaging in Chapter 119 rulemaking;
  • specify that the rulemaking authority of the Director of Education and Workforce is limited to the statutorily prescribed powers and duties of the Director and DEW;
  • specify that any policy adopted, or guidance issued, by the Director or DEW that is not expressly authorized or required by state or federal statute is advisory in nature, is nonbinding on schools and educators, and does not have the force and effect of law.

The following board members testified on the bill:

The committee held a second hearing on SB 11, sponsored by Sen. Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula), which would expand eligibility for EdChoice scholarships to all students beginning with scholarships sought for the 2023-24 school year, and increase the homeschool expense tax credit from $250 to $2,000. The committee heard from proponents of the bill.

House Primary and Secondary Education Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 12, sponsored by Reps. Don Jones (R-Freeport) and David Dobos (R-Columbus), which would rename the Department of Education as the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and would create the position of Director of Education and Workforce. The bill also would reform the functions and responsibilities of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Senate Finance Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 6, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), which would prohibit the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and School Employment Retirement System (SERS), among others, from making investment decisions for the primary purpose of influencing environmental, social and corporate governance policies.

House Economic and Workforce Development Committee
The committee held sponsor testimony on HB 3, sponsored by Reps. Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater) and Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown), which formally states the General Assembly's intention to authorize an affordable housing tax credit.

Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 30, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which would allow a person aged 14 or 15 to be employed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. during the school year if the person has parental or legal guardian consent.

Senate Government Oversight Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 18, sponsored by Sen. Steve Wilson (R-Maineville), which would do the following:

  • Eliminate the obsolete requirement that school districts or school buildings in academic emergency or academic watch submit information to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) before approval of a three-year continuous improvement plan. It also eliminates the obsolete requirements for site evaluations for districts or buildings in academic emergency or academic watch. All the obsolete requirements in question expired on June 30, 2008;
  • Modify the type of communication through which ODE must distribute required notice of certain events or certain services;
  • Allow school districts to meet via electronic means to conduct a hearing for students and parents regarding notice to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles for excessive unexcused student absences from school;
  • Allow a county, township or municipal corporation to meet with a school district to discuss the terms of an agreement for the creation of a tax-exempt district;
  • Remove the requirement that a school district publish, in a newspaper of general circulation, notice of intent to donate property that is not needed, obsolete, or unfit for the district’s use with a value of less than $2,500; but maintain the requirement of continual posting of such notice in the school district board’s office; and permit a nonprofit organization to submit electronically its written notice to a school district board of its desire to obtain donated district property.

The committee held sponsor testimony on SB 23, sponsored by Sen. George F. Lang (R-West Chester), which would expand political subdivision joint purchasing authority to expressly include purchases for construction services.

Finally, the committee held sponsor testimony on SB 44, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell), which would require a state occupational licensing agency to accept electronic license applications.

Senate Ways and Means Committee
The committee held a second hearing on SB 43, sponsored by Sen. Andrew O. Brenner, which would extend the homestead exemption for the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran to spouses of a disabled veteran who dies before receiving a qualifying disability rating.

New Bills Introduced
The following bills were introduced this week:

  • HB 57, sponsored by Reps. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) and Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.), which would index the homestead exemption amounts to inflation;
  • HB 60, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick), which would increase the amount of and expand the income qualifications for the homestead exemption;
  • HB 63, sponsored by Latyna M. Humphrey (D-Columbus), which would require public and chartered nonpublic schools to provide conflict resolution instruction to students in grades kindergarten through twelve;
  • SB 66, sponsored by Sen. Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati), which would require public and private schools to transmit a transferred student's records within five school days.

Federal update
Please click here to read the weekly Federal Advocacy Education Report that includes education related information.

Posted by Nicole Piscitani on 2/24/2023