The ESC BRIDGE
Bridging Resources, Information, and Data from
Government and Education
For the Week of September 18th, 2017
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
Inside ESSA Plans: What Are States Doing About Goals and Timelines? Education Week
This week, Education Week is bringing its trademark analysis to the remaining state plans for fulfilling requirements of the Every Student Succeeds law. On Monday, we had a look at the states' proposed "school quality" indicators—the required but nonacademic portion of each state's plan to judge schools. Today, we're going to take a look at states' goals for raising student achievement and their timelines for doing so in the plans awaiting federal approval.
Trump Wants Education Dept. to Direct $200 Million to STEM, Computer Science Education Week
President Donald Trump is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to put a new focus on STEM education, especially computer science education—even as his budget seeks to scrap federal grants that schools can use for those programs. "This administration is committed to building the workforce of tomorrow," Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and adviser, told reporters Monday, according to a White House pool report. The White House wants U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her team to steer more competitive-grant money from programs like the Education Innovation and Research fund toward recipients that have a STEM focus. And the administration wants DeVos to set a goal of directing at $200 million a year in grant funds to STEM and computer science.
Betsy DeVos Taps Two New Top Advisers Education Week
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has tapped two new people to serve as top advisers: Michael Wooten, a deputy assistant secretary who will be acting as assistant secretary in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, and Leonard Haynes, who has the title of senior adviser and is likely to be a post-secondary education point person, if his resume is any guide.
Trump Taps School Choice Champion Jim Blew to Serve in Key Ed. Dept. Policy Post Education Week
Jim Blew, the director of Student Success California, an education advocacy group, has gotten the official White House nod to lead the office of planning, evaluation, and policy analysis at the U.S. Department of Education. We wrote that his nomination was likely back in June. Blew's background could be a boon to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' push to expand school choice. He was the national president of StudentsFirst, an education redesign organization started by former District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.
Trump Taps Common-Core Foe Mick Zais for No. 2 Post at Ed. Dept. Education Week
President Donald Trump has tapped Mitchell "Mick" Zais, the former South Carolina chief state school officer and a vehement opponent of the Common Core State Standards, as deputy secretary, the number two position at the U.S. Department of Education. Trump ran on getting rid of the common core—something he doesn't have the power to do. But it's hard to imagine Zais cheerleading the common core from his new post. As state chief in he tried to persuade South Carolina to dump the common core.
Trump Administration Set to Publish Flood of Obama-Era ESEA Waivers Education Week
If you're one of those edu-geeks that loves both Elementary and Secondary Education Act waivers and the Federal Register, Friday is your lucky day. The Trump administration is publishing information about more than 800 waivers from the law granted by the U.S. Department of Education to state education agencies from 2011 to 2016. That's during the time when the Obama administration controlled the department.
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: Referred to House Finance Committee
HB21 COMMUNITY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION (Rep. Steve Hambley) Regarding verification of community school enrollments
STATUS: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness 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: Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee – Reported out
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: Referred to Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee
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: Referred to House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee
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: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness 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: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee
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) Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee
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: (Passed by House) Referred to Senate Education Committee
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: Introduced
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
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: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee
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: House Government Accountability & Oversight 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: Referred to House Education & Career Readiness Committee
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: Referred to House Government Accountability & Oversight Committee
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: Referred to House Ways & Means Committee
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: Introduced
HB361 PROPERTY TAX COMPLAINTS TIMEFRAME (Rep. Dave Greenspan) To increase the time within which boards of revision must decide property tax complaints
STATUS: Introduced
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: 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) House Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee – Substitute bill accepted
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: (Passed by Senate) (Passed by House) Referred to Conference Committee
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
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: 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: Referred to Senate Education Committee
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: Referred to Senate Education Committee
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: Introduced
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
Ohio Budget and Politics
Governor candidate Connie Pillich proposes free college tuition, universal pre-K for Ohioans The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Former state Rep. Connie Pillich announced her plan to revamp the education system in Ohio - including free college tuition for Ohio residents who stay in the state for 10 years after graduation - as part of her run for governor.
Ohio Governor's Race-Dems Debate story Associated Press
Democrats use 1st debate among 4 candidates for Ohio governor to take on Republican leadership in Columbus and Washington, D.C., and highlight their party's promises to do better at creating jobs, improving education and helping the middle class.
School bullies would face mandatory suspensions under two bills in Ohio legislature The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Schools need to stop ignoring bullying and take real action to stop it, say two local state legislators who have proposed separate new laws to curb the bad behavior. State Sen. Sandra Williams, a Cleveland Democrat, and State Rep. Dave Greenspan, a Westlake Republican, have different approaches to their bills. But both say they have had relatives bullied at schools and seen schools do little to stop it or punish the bullies.
Ohio education officials losing faith in report cards for schools, districts The Cleveland Plain Dealer
State Sen. Peggy Lehner used to be completely behind Ohio's testing and school accountability system. "I no longer feel that way," the chair of the Senate Education Committee told a panel in Shaker Heights this week. "I look at 20 years of federally-mandated testing...and I came to question it." She is not alone. Ohio's latest batch of state report cards for schools and districts, has drawn pushback over poor districts having to compete against rich ones and about affluent districts slammed with F grades because of a slight dip in their high scores. Some report card measures are too hard to understand. And others say low grades, while designed to guide improvement, just damage trust between schools and their communities.
Senate Committee Considers ‘Aggravated Bullying’ Bill Hannah
Under new legislation from Sen. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland), school bullies could face 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. SB196 (Williams-Brown) would create an “aggravated bullying” offense in the Ohio Revised Code, and would be charged as a third-degree misdemeanor. “The offense states that no person who is a student of a public primary or secondary school shall knowingly cause another person who is a student of a public or secondary school to believe that the offender will cause serious physical or emotional harm to the person or property of the other person,” Williams told the Senate Judiciary Committee during sponsor testimony. “The purpose of this bill is not to criminalize individuals but to form a deterrent and make sure they understand the seriousness of bullying and that the consequences should in fact be as serious as the effects.”