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The ESC Bridge - Week of 2/2/18

The ESC BRIDGE

Bridging Resources, Information, and Data from

Government and Education

For the Week of January 22nd, 2018

Colleagues,

The ESC Bridge is a weekly review of important news, research and legislation from national, state and local education entities presented in one document to help you stay up to date on issues that affect your district or organization. I welcome your feedback as we work to improve this resource to meet your needs. If you are aware of any other colleagues that are interested in receiving this weekly document, please have them send an email to me at [email protected].

Bob

National, Federal, US Department of Education

Trump's State of the Union Address and Education: What to Watch For Education Week

President Donald Trump will give his first honest-to-goodness State of the Union address since taking office Tuesday night. So just how is education likely to show up in the speech? Education was a sleeper star of last year's pseudo SOTU. (It technically wasn't a State of the Union address because Trump had just taken office.) The speech included a big shout-out for school choice in general, and specifically for Denisha Merriweather, then a graduate student, who benefitted from Florida's tax-credit scholarship program. (Merriweather is now working at the U.S. Department of Education to champion choice .) Trump also talked about other issues that impact K-12 schools, including child care, health care, and immigration.

Lawmakers Press Trump to Spend on Public School Infrastructure Education Week

A group of lawmakers has told President Donald Trump that new funding for improving school facilities is "essential for advancing student achievement" and should be a part of any broader infrastructure spending plan. In a Wednesday letter to Trump, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., along with 23 other senators—all Democrats—highlighted a 2014 federal study that said it would take $197 billion to pay for repairs, modernizations, and renovations needed by U.S. schools.

States Leaders Keep Momentum Going on Early-Childhood Education Education Week

During the Obama administration, the federal government poured more than a billion dollars into helping states offer high-quality preschool, through programs such as the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants and Preschool Development Grants. The current federal administration so far has shown it has other priorities. But state leaders say they want to keep that early-childhood work going. Two educational leadership groups recently released reports on the role that states have to play in expanding early-learning opportunities.

Betsy DeVos Opens Up ESSA Pilot Allowing Federal Money to Follow Students Education Week

School districts: Interested in having your local, state, and federal funding follow children, so that kids with greater need have more money attached to them? Now's your chance. The U.S. Department of Education is officially opening up the "Weighted Student Funding Pilot" in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The department can allow up to 50 districts to participate initially, and ESSA leaves open the possibility of opening that up to more districts down the line.

Ohio Legislation Update (recent bill action in red)

132nd General Assembly

House

HB3 DATAOHIO BOARD CREATION (Rep. Mike Duffey, Rep. Christina Hagan) To create the DataOhio Board, to specify requirements for posting public records online, to require the Auditor of State to adopt rules regarding a uniform accounting system for public offices, to establish an online catalog of public data at data.Ohio.gov, to establish the Local Government Information Exchange Grant Program, and to make appropriations

STATUS: House Finance Committee – Reported out

HB8 PUBLIC RECORDS-MINORS (Rep. Steve Hambley, Rep. Jeffrey Rezabek) To exempt from the Public Records Law certain information concerning a minor that is included in a record related to a traffic accident involving a school vehicle in which the minor was an occupant at the time of the accident

STATUS: (Passed by House) Senate Local Government, Public Safety & Veterans Affairs Committee – Reported out

HB21 COMMUNITY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION (Rep. Steve Hambley) Regarding verification of community school enrollments

STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Education Committee

HB37 SCHOOL SAFETY-STRUCTURES (Rep. Steve Arndt) To 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

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Substitute bill accepted

HB47 STUDENTS IN MILITARY (Rep. John Boccieri) To enact the "Students to Soldiers Support Act (S3A)" regarding the participation of students who are serving in the uniformed services in extracurricular activities at public and nonpublic schools and public and private colleges

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB49 OPERATING BUDGET (Rep. Ryan Smith) Creates FY 2018-2019 main operating budget

STATUS: (Passed by House) (Passed by Senate) Signed by Governor – Effective July 1, 2017; House has voted to override several vetoes; Senate considering

HB53 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES-MEMBER DUES (Rep. John Becker) To remove any requirement under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Law that public employees join or pay dues to any employee organization, to prohibit public employers from requiring public employees to join or pay dues to any employee organization, to prohibit an employee organization from being required to represent public employees who are not members of the employee organization, and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Finance Committee

HB58 CURSIVE HANDWRITING INSTRUCTION (Rep. Andrew Brenner, Rep. Marilyn Slaby) To require instruction in cursive handwriting

STATUS: Re-referred to House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee

HB66 TENURED TEACHING REQUIREMENTS (Rep. Ron Young) To require permanently tenured state university or college faculty members to teach at least three credit hours of undergraduate courses per semester

STATUS: Passed by House, Vote 86-8

HB69 LEVY REVENUE REIMBURSEMENT (Rep. Bob Cupp) To require reimbursement of certain township fire and emergency medical service levy revenue forgone because of the creation of a municipal tax increment financing district

STATUS: Signed by Governor (12/22/17) – Effective after 90 days

HB74 INCREASE COLLEGE TAX DEDUCTION (Rep. Stephen Huffman, Rep. Theresa Gavarone) To increase the maximum income tax deduction for contributions to the state's 529 college savings program from $2,000 to $3,000 per beneficiary per year

STATUS: Referred to House Ways & Means Committee

HB77 SICK-CHILD CARE LICENSURE (Rep. Wes Retherford) To provide for the licensure of sick-child care centers

STATUS: Referred to House Economic Development, Commerce & Labor Committee

HB80 SCHOOL FOOD-SUMMER INTERVENTION (Rep. Sarah LaTourette, Rep. Kent Smith) To require school districts to allow approved summer food service program sponsors to use school facilities to provide food service for summer intervention services under certain conditions

STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

HB87 COMMUNITY SCHOOL PUBLIC MONEYS (Rep. Kristina Roegner) Regarding public moneys returned to the state as a result of a finding for recovery issued pursuant to an audit of a community school

STATUS: House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee – Bill amended

HB89 AUGUST SALES TAX HOLIDAY (Rep. John Patterson, Rep. Brigid Kelly) To provide for a three-day sales tax "holiday" in August 2017 during which sales of clothing and school supplies are exempt from sales and use taxes

STATUS: Referred to House Ways & Means Committee

HB98 CAREER INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS (Rep. Mike Duffey, Rep. Kristin Boggs) Regarding the presentation of career information to students

STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Education Committee

HB102 SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM (Rep. Andrew Brenner) To replace locally levied school district property taxes with a statewide property tax and require recipients of certain tax exemptions to reimburse the state for such levy revenue lost due to those exemptions; to increase the state sales and use tax rates and allocate additional revenue to state education purposes; to repeal school district income taxes; to require the Treasurer of State to issue general obligation bonds to refund certain school district debt obligations; to create a new system of funding schools where the state pays a specified amount per student that each student may use to attend the public or chartered nonpublic school of the student's choice, without the requirement of a local contribution; to eliminate the School Facilities Commission; to eliminate the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program, Pilot Project Scholarship Program, Autism Scholarship Program, and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program; to eliminate interdistrict open enrollment; to require educational service centers to transport students on a countywide basis; and to permit school districts to enter into a memoranda of understanding for one district to manage another

STATUS: Referred to House Finance Committee

HB103 FISCAL EMERGENCY PROVISIONS (Rep. William Reineke) To modify the composition and powers of the financial planning and supervision commission of a political subdivision that is in a state of fiscal emergency and to clarify the duties of that political subdivision

STATUS: (Passed by House) (Passed by Senate) Signed by Governor

HB108 INFORMED STUDENT DOCUMENT ACT (Rep. Christina Hagan, Rep. Robert McColley) To require one-half unit of financial literacy in the high school curriculum, to require the Chancellor of Higher Education to prepare an informed student document for each institution of higher education, to require the State Board of Education to include information on the informed student document in the standards and model curricula it creates for financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and to entitle the act the "Informed Student Document Act"

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Bill amended

HB110 COLLEGE CREDIT APPRENTICESHIPS (Rep. Christina Hagan, Rep. Bill Dean) To create a subprogram of the College Credit Plus Program that permits students to participate in certified apprenticeship programs

STATUS: Referred to House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee

HB118 TAX COMPLAINT DISMISSAL (Rep. Derek Merrin) To expressly prohibit the dismissal of a property tax complaint for failure to correctly identify the property owner

STATUS: (Passed by House) Passed by Senate, Vote 32-0

HB124 VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TAX LEVY (Rep. Andrew Brenner, Rep. Rick Carfagna) To authorize a joint vocational school district to submit the question of a renewal tax levy to voters who did not have an opportunity to vote on the levy at an election held in November of 2015 because the levy was only placed on the ballot in one of several counties in which the district has territory

STATUS: Signed by Governor – Effective immediately

HB129 SCHOOL EXTERNSHIPS-GOVERNOR (Rep. Kent Smith, Rep. Brigid Kelly) To require the Governor to complete a forty-hour externship consisting of on-site work experience in city, local, and exempted village school districts in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years

STATUS: Referred to House State & Local Government Committee

HB134 SCHOOL COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT GRANTS (Rep. Steve Hambley, Rep. Darrell Kick) To allow community improvements board grants to a school district to be spent for permanent improvements outside the county so long as the improvements are within the school district

STATUS: House State & Local Government Committee – Reported out as amended

HB163 PREVAILING WAGE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS (Rep. Kristina Roegner, Rep. Craig Riedel) To allow political subdivisions, special districts, and state institutions of higher education to elect to apply the Prevailing Wage Law to public improvement projects

STATUS: Introduced

HB166 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM REVISIONS (Rep. William Reineke, Rep. Bob Cupp) To revise the laws governing the state's workforce development system, programs that may be offered by primary and secondary schools, certificates of qualification for employment, and the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Agency, and to designate the first week of May as In-Demand Jobs Week

STATUS: House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee – Substitute bill accepted

HB170 COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION (Rep. Rick Carfagna, Rep. Mike Duffey) With regard to academic content standards and curriculum requirements for computer science; to revise educator qualifications regarding computer science; to create a competitive technology STATUS: Signed by Governor (12/22/17) – Effective after 90 days

HB176 SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS (Rep. Andrew Thompson) With regard to state achievement assessments, statewide academic content standards and model curricula, and teacher and administrator evaluations

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Bill amended

HB179 IMMIGRATION LAW COMPLIANCE (Rep. Candice Keller) To require state and local authorities to cooperate with the federal government in the enforcement of immigration laws, to prohibit a local government that fails to do so from receiving certain state funds, to provide for the removal of officers of a local government that fails to do so, and to declare an emergency

STATUS: Introduced

HB181 ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (Rep. Ron Hood, Rep. Tom Brinkman) With regard to the state academic content standards and primary and secondary education assessments

STATUS: Introduced

HB186 COLLEGE TAX DEDUCTION (Rep. John Rogers, Rep. Gary Scherer) To enact the "Blair Deduction" to allow an individual obtaining a postsecondary degree or credential from an eligible educational institution to claim an income tax deduction for qualified higher education expenses

STATUS: Introduced

HB200 OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CREATION (Koehler, K) - To eliminate the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program and Pilot Project Scholarship Program and to create the Opportunity Scholarship Program

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Bill amended

HB217 COLLEGE APPLICATIONS-DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS (Rep. Andrew Brenner) To prohibit institutions of higher education from requiring students to disclose disciplinary actions on their applications for admission

STATUS: Referred to House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee

HB220 NONPUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDS (Rep. David Leland) With regard to the use of funds by community schools and nonpublic schools

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB224 RE-SERVING SCHOOL LUNCH ITEMS (Rep. Catherine Ingram) To permit districts and schools to re-serve time- and temperature-controlled food items to students if items are unused and returned unopened, undamaged, and in the original packaging

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB227 LICENSE PLATE-KENSTON LOCAL SCHOOLS (Rep. Sarah LaTourette) To create the "Kenston Local Schools" license plate

STATUS: House Transportation & Public Safety Committee – Reported out as amended

HB235 EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT PROCEDURE (Rep. Theresa Gavarone) Regarding procedures for approval or disapproval of the state education plan for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act

STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Education Committee

HB237 MULTICOUNTY LOCAL ELECTIONS (Rep. Dorothy Pelanda) To require a political subdivision with territory in more than one county that places an issue on the ballot to notify the board of elections of every county in which the political subdivision has territory, to require the Secretary of State to establish a database to facilitate communication between the boards of elections and the Secretary concerning local elections, and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Referred to House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee

HB242 SCHOOL RETIREMENT-COST OF LIVING (Rep. Rick Carfagna) Regarding School Employees Retirement System annual cost-of-living adjustments

STATUS: House Aging & Long Term Care Committee – Substitute bill accepted

HB246 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY CLASSROOMS (Rep. John Boccieri, Rep. Jeffrey Rezabek) To require the Ohio School Facilities Commission to provide funding to certain county boards of developmental disabilities to assist in the acquisition of classroom facilities

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Substitute bill

HB262 INDEPENDENT BUDGET PROCESS (Rep. James Butler, Jr., Rep. Mark Romanchuk) To provide for the preparation of a state biennial budget independent of that submitted by the Governor and to authorize the Legislative Service Commission, upon the request of the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President of the Senate, to arrange for an independent actuarial review of a proposed bill, specified analyses of economic policy initiatives and state benchmarking data, and a study of the state's long-range financial outlook

STATUS: Referred to House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee

HB298 PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SICK DAYS (Rep. Derek Merrin) To make changes with respect to the number of sick days provided to public employees

STATUS: Introduced

HB312 LOCAL GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARDS (Rep. Kirk Schuring, Rep. Dave Greenspan) Regarding use of credit cards and debit cards by political subdivisions

STATUS: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

HB318 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER DEFINITION (Rep. John Patterson, Rep. Sarah LaTourette) To define the necessary qualifications and responsibilities of school resource officers

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB322 SCHOOL EMERGENCY PLANS (Rep. Adam Miller, Rep. Bernadine Kent) To revise the law regarding emergency management plans and school safety drills; to require each educational service center to employ an emergency response planner; to make an appropriation; and to declare an emergency

STATUS: House Finance Committee

HB337 TEXTBOOK SALES TAX EXEMPTION (Rep. Mike Duffey) To exempt from sales and use tax textbooks purchased by post-secondary students

STATUS: Referred to House Ways & Means Committee

HB338 BUS DRIVER MEDICAL EXAMS (Rep. Tim Ginter) Regarding medical examinations for school bus drivers

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Reported out

HB342 LOCAL TAX ISSUES-ELECTION DATES (Rep. Derek Merrin) To permit local tax-related proposals to appear only on general and primary election ballots and not on an August special election ballot and to modify the information conveyed in election notices and ballot language for property tax levies

STATUS: House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee – Substitute bill accepted

HB343 PROPERTY VALUE CONTEST-RESOLUTIONS (Rep. Derek Merrin) To require local governments that contest property values to formally pass an authorizing resolution for each contest and to notify property owners

STATUS: House Ways & Means Committee – Reported out

HB360 ANTI-BULLYING AND HAZING (Rep. Dave Greenspan) To enact the "Ohio Anti-Bullying and Hazing Act" with regard to school discipline and bullying and hazing policies at public schools and public colleges

STATUS: House Education & Career Readiness Committee – Substitute bill accepted

HB361 PROPERTY TAX COMPLAINTS TIMEFRAME (Rep. Dave Greenspan) To increase the time within which boards of revision must decide property tax complaints

STATUS: House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee – Bill amended

HB363 CAMPUS FREE SPEECH (Rep. Rick Carfagna, Rep. Andrew Brenner) To enact the "Campus Free Speech Act" with respect to the freedom of speech and assembly at state institutions of higher education and the charging and allocation of student activity fees

STATUS: Referred to House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee

HB369 PER PUPIL FUNDING GUARANTEE (Rep. Martin Sweeney) To prescribe a per pupil funding guarantee for certain school districts and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Referred to House Finance Committee

HB377 CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE EDUCATION (Rep. Christina Hagan, Rep. Dan Ramos) With respect to age-appropriate student instruction in child sexual abuse and sexual violence prevention and in-service staff training in child sexual abuse prevention

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB383 CHILD CARE HEALTH & SAFETY RISKS (Rep. Rick Carfagna) Regarding parental notice of serious risks to the health or safety of children receiving child care

STATUS: House Community & Family Advancement Committee – Reported out

HB396 STEM DEGREE LOAN REPAYMENT (Rep. John Patterson, Rep. Rick Carfagna) To create the STEM Degree Loan Repayment Program and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Finance Committee

HB399 HEALTH INSURANCE SAVINGS INCENTIVES (Rep. Michael Henne, Rep. James Butler, Jr.) To enact the Ohio Right to Shop Act to require health insurers to establish shared savings incentive programs for enrollees

STATUS: Introduced

HB413 PERS ADJUSTMENT-DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES EMPLOYEES (Rep. Gary Scherer) Regarding Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) annual cost-of-living adjustments granted to allowance and benefit recipients and PERS service credit for services as a nonteaching school employee of a county board of developmental disabilities

STATUS: Referred to House Aging & Long Term Care Committee

HB418 SCHOOL RECORDS TRANSFER (Rep. Catherine Ingram) To require a public or chartered nonpublic school to transmit a student's records within five business days when the student transfers to another school

STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB426 SCHOOL SEXUAL CONDUCT (Rep. Christina Hagan) To prohibit an employee of a school or institution of higher education who is not in a position of authority from engaging in sexual conduct with certain students

STATUS: Introduced; Referred to House Criminal Justice Committee

HB428 STUDENT RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES ACT (Rep. Tim Ginter, Rep. Sarah LaTourette) Regarding student religious expression and to entitle the act the "Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act of 2018”

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB432 STUDENT LOAN OMBUDSMAN & LICENSURE (Rep. Kristin Boggs, Rep. Brigid Kelly) To require student loan servicers to be licensed by the Division of Financial Institutions and to create the position of student loan ombudsperson in the Division of Financial Institutions to provide assistance to student loan borrowers

STATUS: Introduced

HB438 ESC ANNEXATION (Rep. Steve Hambley, Rep. Darrell Kick) To permit the addition of appointed members to educational service center boards and to permit a local school district to sever its territory from one educational service center and annex that territory to an adjacent service center under specified conditions

STATUS: Introduced

HB442 SCHOOL ATHLETICS-F1 VISA (Rep. Niraj Antani) To authorize any student from a country or province outside the United States who attends an elementary or secondary school in Ohio and holds an F-1 visa to participate in interscholastic athletics at that school on the same basis as Ohio residents

STATUS: Introduced

HB443 MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION (Rep. Martin Sweeney) To require school district boards of education to incorporate mental health instruction into their health education curricula

STATUS: Introduced

HB449 CHARTER SCHOOL SPONSOR RATINGS-UNIVERSITIES (Rep. John Rogers, Rep. John Patterson) To require the Department of Education to attribute any community school sponsor ratings an entity received during its relationship with a state university board of trustees to that entity even if it no longer has a relationship with the university

STATUS: Introduced

HB477 ELIMINATE EDUCATION PROGRAMS (Rep. Kyle Koehler) To eliminate various provisions and programs related to the Department of Education and the operation of primary and secondary schools

STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee

HB487 RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL-COMMUNITY SCHOOLS (Rep. Catherine Ingram) To eliminate the right of first refusal for community schools, college-preparatory boarding schools, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics schools in the acquisition of school district real property

STATUS: Introduced

HB488 PROPERTY TAX LEVY-BALLOT LANGUAGE (Rep. Ron Hood, Rep. John Becker) To modify the information conveyed in election notices and ballot language for property tax levies

STATUS: Introduced

HB491 SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS-SPECIFIED SERVICES (Rep. Jay Edwards) To require the State Board of Education to issue a substitute license to specified pupil services personnel

STATUS: Introduced

Senate

SB3 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (Sen. Bill Beagle, Sen. Troy Balderson) To revise the laws governing the state's workforce development system, programs that may be offered by primary and secondary schools, certificates of qualification for employment, and the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Agency, and to designate the first week of May as In-Demand Jobs Week

STATUS: (Passed by Senate) Passed by House, Vote 93-1; Senate concurs, Vote 32-0

SB5 INCREASING INCOME TAX DEDUCTIONS (Sen. Jay Hottinger, Sen. John Eklund) To increase the maximum income tax deduction for contributions to college savings accounts and disability expense savings accounts to $10,000 annually for each beneficiary, to create the Joint Committee on Ohio College Affordability, and to declare an emergency

STATUS: Senate Finance Committee – Reported out as amended; Passed by Senate, Vote 33-0; Emergency clause, Vote 32-1

SB8 SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY (Sen. Randy Gardner, Sen. Louis Terhar) To 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

STATUS: Signed by Governor (12/22/17) – Effective after 90 days

SB9 AUGUST TAX HOLIDAY (Sen. Kevin Bacon) To provide for a three-day sales tax "holiday" in August 2017 during which sales of clothing and school supplies are exempt from sales and use taxes

STATUS: Signed by Governor – Effective immediately

SB15 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS (Sen. Charleta Tavares) To require community colleges, state community colleges, technical colleges, and university branches to comply with minority business enterprise set-aside requirements, and to require the Director of Administrative Services to establish guidelines for these entities, and the Northeast Ohio Medical University, to establish procurement goals for contracting with EDGE business enterprises

STATUS: Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB17 LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND ALLOCATION (Sen. Charleta Tavares) To increase monthly allocations to the Local Government Fund from 1.66% to 3.68% of the total tax revenue credited to the General Revenue Fund each month

STATUS: Senate Finance Committee

SB34 SCHOOL YEARS (Sen. Gayle Manning) To generally require public and chartered nonpublic schools to open for instruction after Labor Day

STATUS: Introduced

SB39 COMMUNITY SCHOOL OPERATION (Sen. Joe Schiavoni) Regarding community school operator contracts, the operation of Internet- and computer-based community schools, and performance metrics for blended learning schools

STATUS: Introduced

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB54 SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMS (Sen. Edna Brown, Sen. Peggy Lehner) To require school districts to allow approved summer food service program sponsors to use school facilities to provide food service for summer intervention services under certain conditions

STATUS: Introduced; Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB72 PREVAILING WAGE LAW (Sen. Matt Huffman) To allow political subdivisions, special districts, and state institutions of higher education to elect to apply the Prevailing Wage Law to public improvement projects

STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance Committee

SB82 SCHOOL ABSENCES-PARENTAL NOTIFICATION (Sen. Sandra Williams, Sen. Peggy Lehner) To require a public school to place a telephone call within one hour of the start of the school day to a parent whose child is absent without legitimate excuse

STATUS: Senate Education Committee – Substitute bill accepted

SB85 OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CREATION (Sen. Matt Huffman) To eliminate the Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program and Pilot Project Scholarship Program and to create the Opportunity Scholarship Program

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB88 SUBDIVISION COMMISSIONS-FISCAL EMERGENCY (Sen. Louis Terhar) To modify the composition and powers of the financial planning and supervision commission of a political subdivision that is in a state of fiscal emergency and to clarify the duties of that political subdivision

STATUS: Passed by Senate, Vote 33-0

SB97 REGIONAL STUDY COMMITTEE CREATION (Sen. Frank LaRose, Sen. Kenny Yuko) To establish a Regional Economic Development Alliance Study Committee to study the benefits and challenges involved in creating regional economic development alliances

STATUS: Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB104 PROHIBIT SECLUSION USE-SCHOOLS (Sen. Charleta Tavares) To prohibit the use of seclusion on students in public schools

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB105 MONTH DESIGNATION-OHIO PRINCIPALS (Sen. Charleta Tavares) To designate the month of October as "Ohio Principals Month”

STATUS: Senate Education Committee – Reported out

SB111 SCHOOL ZONE SIGN LIGHTS (Sen. Charleta Tavares) To require school zones to be indicated by signs equipped with flashing or other lights or that indicate the times during which the restrictive speed limit is enforced, and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB123 PROPERTY TAX COMPLAINT PROCESS (Sen. William Coley) To limit the right to initiate most types of property tax complaints to the property owner and the county recorder of the county in which the property is located

STATUS: Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee

SB124 COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY GRANTS (Sen. Sandra Williams) To qualify students in noncredit community college and career and technical programs for Ohio College Opportunity Grants and to require the awarding of academic credit for community colleges’ career certification programs

STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee

SB133 STUDENT DISCIPLINE-VIOLENT BEHAVIOR (Sen. Frank LaRose) To require the Education Management Information System to include information regarding persons at whom a student's violent behavior that resulted in discipline was directed and to require the Department of Education to submit a one-time report to the General Assembly regarding that information

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB140 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP GRANTS (Sen. Joe Schiavoni) To create the Public-Private Partnership Grant Program for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to develop, enhance, and promote educational programs to address regional workforce needs; to create the Sector Partnership Grant Program for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to identify and provide grants to industry partnerships; to support programs that improve access to workforce training opportunities for students; to support economic development and revitalization programs; and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Introduced

SB149 ELECTION POLLING PLACES-SCHOOLS (Sen. Frank LaRose) Regarding the use of a school district building as a polling place for elections

STATUS: Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB151 SCHOOL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ADJUSTMENTS (Sen. Cliff Hite) To permit, rather than require, the School Employees Retirement System to grant annual cost-of-living adjustments to retirement, disability, and survivor benefit recipients and to reduce the maximum amount of the adjustment

STATUS: Referred to Senate Insurance & Financial Institutions Committee

SB172 HUNGER-FREE STUDENTS RIGHTS (Sen. Kenny Yuko) To establish the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act to require schools to provide certain services to students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB175 RECOVERED FUNDS-SCHOOL AUDIT (Sen. Joe Schiavoni) Regarding public moneys returned to the state as a result of a finding for recovery issued pursuant to an audit of a community school.

STATUS: Referred to Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee

SB191 ESTABLISH SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS (Sen. Joe Schiavoni) To establish the Breakfast After The Bell Program for public schools

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB196 AGGRAVATED BULLYING-OFFENSE CREATION (Sen. Sandra Williams, Sen. Edna Brown) To create the offense of aggravated bullying, a third-degree misdemeanor

STATUS: Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee

SB197 SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES (Sen. Sandra Williams, Sen. Edna Brown) To require a tiered disciplinary procedure for harassment, intimidation, or bullying in school; to require annual student instruction about preventing such acts; and to create the offense of aggravated bullying as a third-degree misdemeanor

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB199 OHIO BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS (Sen. Joe Schiavoni, Sen. Cliff Hite) To create the Ohio Broadband Development Grant Program and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Introduced

SB203 MUNICIPAL TAX RULE REINSTATEMENT (Sen. Matt Dolan) To reinstate the municipal income tax "throw-back rule" used in apportioning business income among municipalities

STATUS: Introduced

SB209 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS-TIF (Sen. William Coley, Sen. John Eklund) To modify the conditions that determine the relative priority of property tax exemptions when a parcel subject to a tax increment financing arrangement concurrently qualifies for another exemption

STATUS: Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee

SB213 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING PLAN (Sen. Joe Schiavoni) To enhance economic and employment opportunities and improve local infrastructure in Ohio by providing additional assistance to workforce development and employment programs; establishing a revolving loan program for small businesses seeking to expand operations; extending job tax credits to smaller businesses; enabling expanded participation in public sector contracting by smaller companies; enhancing support for childcare centers; funding additional local infrastructure and public transit; authorizing tax incentives for hiring military veterans, for donating money to local programs assisting distressed communities, or for improving distressed property; exempting the homes of disabled veterans from property taxation; terminating the income tax deduction and reduced tax rate for business income; and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance Committee

SB216 PUBLIC SCHOOL DEREGULATION ACT (Sen. Matt Huffman) To enact the "Ohio Public School Deregulation Act" regarding the administration of preschool and primary and secondary education programs

STATUS: Senate Education Committee – Substitute bill accepted

SB226 PERMANENT SALES TAX HOLIDAY (Sen. Kevin Bacon) To provide for a permanent three-day sales tax "holiday" each August during which sales of clothing and school supplies are exempt from sales and use tax

STATUS: Senate Ways & Means Committee - Reported out

SB239 REGIONAL COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENTS (Sen. Matt Dolan) To modify the law concerning regional councils of governments

STATUS: Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee – Substitute bill accepted

SB240 REGARDING TEACHER EVALUATIONS (Sen. Peggy Lehner) With regard to teacher evaluations

STATUS: Introduced

SB241 ACCREDITED NONPUBLIC SCHOOL CATEGORY (Sen. Louis Terhar, Sen. Cecil Thomas) To establish a category of nonpublic schools called "accredited nonpublic schools" and to prescribe requirements and exemptions for such schools

STATUS: Referred to Senate Education Committee

SB246 STUDENT SAFETY ACT (Sen. Peggy Lehner, Sen. Gayle Manning) To enact the "SAFE Act" to revise the procedures for emergency removal of a student, to prohibit certain suspensions and expulsions of students in grades prekindergarten through three, to require each public school to implement a positive behavior intervention and supports framework in accordance with state standards, and to make an appropriation

STATUS: Referred to Senate Finance Committee

Ohio Department of Education/State Board of Education

Dodd Calls for 'New Generation of Leadership' with Schiavoni Hannah

Emphasizing the importance of hope, lieutenant governor candidate Stephanie Dodd said Ohio's future calls for new leadership that she and gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman) can provide. Dodd, a State Board of Education member, spoke Friday before the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA), which also heard from Democratic governor candidates Richard Cordray and Dennis Kucinich and Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jon Husted earlier this week.

Ohio Department of Education looking to expand summer food service program The News Herald

To meet the needs of the growing number of children who receive meals during summer break, the Ohio Department of Education is looking to expand its Summer Food Service program. The Summer Food Service program feeds thousands of children throughout the state, according to a news release. It also states that since 2014, participation in the program has increased by 10 percent.

College and Career Readiness

A university in Ohio is getting rid of most Friday classes next fall Dayton Daily News

An Ohio college is preparing to eliminate classes on at least one day of the week, giving students a three-day weekend. Friday classes will soon be a thing of the past for students at the University of Akron. The university announced this week that it will shift to a mostly Monday through Thursday class schedule beginning next fall. The move, the university said, will leave Fridays open for students to get “hands-on, real world experience.” The change will condense class schedules but will not change the course loads for most students, according to the university.

Tuition Trust Keeps Higher Education at Forefront amid Federal Policy Shift Hannah

Federal lawmakers substantially expanded the scope of college savings accounts in last year's tax overhaul, letting Americans spend up to $10,000 per year for K-12 expenses as well. The state agency overseeing the Ohio-sponsored 529 accounts welcomes the chance to bring more people into the fold, but says post-high school learning will remain the focus of its efforts. Meanwhile, a private school group says there's uncertainty about how this new federal change interacts with state law governing college savings. The Ohio Tuition Trust Authority (OTTA) runs CollegeAdvantage, Ohio's 529 savings program. Investment earnings on the accounts can be withdrawn tax-free if the money is spent on qualified education expenses, and Ohio residents can get a tax deduction for contributions as well. Effective in tax year 2018, the deduction doubled from $2,000 to $4,000, a change Ohio lawmakers enacted before the recent federal tax reform.

Cleveland State University's new president is Harlan Sands, CFO of the Wharton School The Plain Dealer

Cleveland State University has named Harlan Sands, vice dean and CFO of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as president. Sands, 54, was appointed Monday by the CSU's board of trustees, following a national search to replace President Ronald Berkman, who announced last year he would retire after leading the public college for nine years.

Lakeland plans Free College Day at East Campus The News- Herold

Lakeland Community College is switching up its Free College Day offering this year by way of a venue change, the school reports. It’s happening Feb. 3 at the Lakeland East campus, 201 Water Tower Drive, beginning at 8 a.m., according to a Jan. 26 news release. “Historically Free College Day has been held on the college’s main campus in Kirtland, Ohio,” the release reads. “With the school’s approval from the Higher Learning Commission to offer full Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees at the Madison location, the college is making sure that all students in the community are aware of this wonderful opportunity.”

Report: For many adult learners, going to college is desirable but unaffordable Education Dive

Adult learners without college degrees are apprehensive about the cost of higher education and the quality of online courses, but they expressed a desire to return to school, according to a nationwide survey from Champlain College Online released today. Respondents said they prefer traditional face-to-face learning over online courses, but acknowledged that online education can be effective if administered using the industry’s best practices.

Rural Recruiting Problems Inside Higher Ed

Dual-enrollment programs, in which high school students receive credit for college-level courses, have been growing rapidly. But a recent accreditor clarification about the required credentials for instructors who teach early-college-credit programs has highlighted problems relating to equity, insufficient data and the pipeline of instructors for some colleges and states. In 2015, the country’s largest regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, issued a policy clarification stating that high school teachers of dual-credit courses, along with instructional college faculty members, are required to have a master’s degree in the specialty they’re teaching, or at least 18 graduate-level credit hours within that specialty.

Northeast Ohio Schools

Cuyahoga County

Bay Village Schools approves new academic calendar The Morning Journal

Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools will ask voters to prolong tax Cleveland.com

Lakewood's Help to Others (H2O) service-learning program celebrates 25th anniversary Cleveland.Com

Olmsted Falls City Schools seeks 21st century learning readiness with Graduate Profile Celveland.com

Parma City Schools place 7.4-mill, new-money levy on May ballot Cleveland.com

Parma City Schools names new Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Sean Nuccio Cleveland.com

Parma City Schools Superintendent Hilling announces retirement Celveland.com

Rocky River schools superintendent speaks on the state of the city schools Cleveland.com

Westlake seventh-graders pen special fairy tales for second-graders: West Shore Chatter Cleveland.com

Lake County