House activity
The House passed House Bill (HB) 124 by a vote of 95-2. The legislation would allow a joint vocational school district to submit a renewal tax levy to voters who did not have an opportunity to vote on the levy at the last election because the levy was placed on the ballot in only one of several counties in which the district has territory. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Senate activity
Senate Bill (SB) 8 passed the Senate by a vote of 33-0. This legislation would require the Ohio School Facilities Commission to establish a program assisting school districts in purchasing technology and making physical alterations to improve technology infrastructure and school safety and security. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.
House Education and Career Readiness Committee
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 170. This bill calls for developing optional academic content standards and curriculum for computer science. It also would address educator qualifications for computer science and create a competitive technology grant program for the 2018-2019 school year.
Rep. Andy Thompson (R-Marietta) offered sponsor testimony on HB 176. This legislation would make changes to state assessments, state academic content standards and model curricula.
The committee also heard sponsor testimony from Rep. J. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) on HB 200. This bill would eliminate the EdChoice Scholarship Program and the Cleveland Scholarship Program to create the Opportunity Scholarship Program. This legislation is identical to SB 85 sponsored by Sen. Matt Huffman (R-Lima).
House State and Local Government Committee
The committee passed HB 134 after adding an amendment to clarify that the bill only pertains to Medina County. HB 134 would allow a school district to spend county improvement board grant funds on permanent improvements outside of the county so long as the improvements are within the school district. OSBA, Ohio Association of School Business Officials and Buckeye Association of School Administrators submitted a letter in support of the bill. Click here to review the letter.
House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee
The committee heard proponent testimony on HB 87 from Mark H. Curtis, president of the Twinsburg City Schools Board of Education. This bill would provide procedures for returning funds to public schools when state funds are returned as a result of an audit finding against a community school.
Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
The committee heard sponsor testimony on SB 3 from Sen. Bill Beagle (R-Tipp City). This bill would revise the laws governing the state’s workforce development system, programs that may be offered by school districts and designate the first week in May as In-Demand Jobs Week.
Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education
The subcommittee met this week and heard testimony on HB 49 from:
• Cajon Keeton, treasurer, Benton-Carroll-Salem Local (Ottawa);
• Dan Grothaus, transportation supervisor, St. Mary’s City;
• Angela M. Smith, superintendent, Madison Local (Lake);
• Michael J. Vaccariello, treasurer, Madison Local (Lake).