June 10, 2026 · Education Committee · 1,518 words · 9 speakers · 111 segments
I'm going to call this meeting of the Senate Education Committee to order. Will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Brenner?
Present.
Vice Chair Blessing?
Here.
Ranking Member Ingram?
Here.
Senator Huffman?
Senator Kaler?
Here.
Senator Petrona?
Here.
Senator Smith?
Yes.
Here. Apparently, Smith is here, so we have a quorum. The minutes of the prior meeting from yesterday are on the iPads. Are there any corrections, additions, or changes to the meeting minutes? Seeing none, the minutes will be approved as written. We're going to start off just, we're going to be bringing up 455 in a little bit. We're going to be removing a couple of amendments that we put in yesterday. We're going to start off with Senate Bill 311 for its sixth hearing. We did not have any testimony today, so I now recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Move to amend with AM 2362.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The amendment removes the requirement that an individual seeking a one-year, non-renewable, out-of-state teacher license must come from a state with similar pre-service training requirements related to the science of reading to qualify for the 12-hour exemption should they pass the Foundations of Reading test on their first attempt.
Are there any objections to removing for this amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Mr. Chairman, move to amend with AM 2882.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
The amendment will require that once a student meets the qualifications for being habitually truant, upon the following unexcused absence, the attendance officer must file a complaint with the appropriate juvenile court.
Are there any objections to this amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. Recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Mr. Chairman, move to amend with AM 2886.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
The amendment changes the teacher-to-student ratio for the remote proctoring of assessments to 1 to 11 from 1 to 9. And just to let the members know, the average in all the states that do remote proctoring is 11 to 1.
That where that number came from Are there any objections to the amendment Seeing none the amendment is adopted Chair recognizes Vice Chair Blessing for a motion Thank you Mr Chairman Move to amend with Amendment 2998. The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
The amendment prohibits the school district from redeveloping or otherwise substantially renovating a school building for non-educational purposes without first offering the school for sale through the involuntary disposition process.
Are there any objections to the amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. Chair recognizes Ranking Member Ingram for a motion.
Let's see. 2892, I believe. No, it's 2892.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
This amendment removes a provision that the bill will prohibit counties, townships, and municipal corporations from doing the following, prohibiting or redistricting the locations of a public school or charter, non-public school in any district or zone, and denying an application related to the land use for sale, etc., etc., etc. Thank you for that, etc., etc., etc.
I would object to that amendment, And the reason is that we should not be zoning away school buildings. School buildings are not a detriment to society. They actually help society. And I think that we've seen a recent use of zoning laws that has been blocking schools from being created, and that is not acceptable. It's not in the best interest of the health, safety, and welfare of the state of Ohio.
Why shouldn't that be handled at some other point, though?
because it's up to that jurisdiction as to whether or not it fits.
You have planning for, cities have planning. I mean, there's some states that you have to have a certain kind of decor in order to be in that municipality. So why shouldn't they be allowed to do that if, indeed, it doesn't fit to the plans that they have as to what that development should look like or will look like?
Any other conversation on the amendment? Seeing none, I recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to table the amendment.
The motion has been made.
Will the clerk please call the roll Chair Brenner Yes Vice Chair Glossian Yes No Senator Buckman Yes Senator Sanders Yes Senator Trona Yes Senator Kitt No All right
The amendment is tabled. The chair recognizes ranking member Ingram for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This amendment is 136-28-94.
All right. If the amendment is in order, will you please explain the amendment?
This amendment removes the provision that exempts certain applicants from out-of-state educator's license from the requirement to complete semester hours of coursework and the teaching of reading, and it also would have exempted such an out-of-state educator license holder from the requirements to complete that coursework in the teaching of reading or obtaining a resident educator license than a professional educator license.
I think that if somebody's already qualified out of state and it looks like they're qualified in, they should be able to go ahead and proceed. Should is the key word.
The science of reading is not taught the same in each of our areas in which they are, despite the fact that you may think so. It's not. Most of the definition of the science of reading is found to be pretty much in every state. is now being recognized harmoniously as about the same thing.
I don't know. I don't think that that's fair to teachers who are being trained here in Ohio. All right. Well, I recognize Vice Chair Blossing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Move to table the amendment.
Motion has been made. Will the clerk please call the roll? Chair Brenner? Yes. Vice Chair Blossing?
Yes.
Thank you, Member Ingram?
No.
Senator Huffman?
Yes.
Senator Taylor?
Yes.
Senator Petrona?
Yes.
Senator Smith?
All right, with that, the motion to table passes.
It is tabled. I want to also authorize the Legislative Service Commission to harmonize the changes into a substitute bill. I recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to favorably report amended substitute Senate Bill 311 to the Committee on Rules and Reference.
Motion has been made. Will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Brenner?
Yes.
Vice Chair Blessing?
Yes.
Any number is there?
No Senator Trumpman Yes Senator Taylor Yes Senator Trotter Yes Senator Taylor Yes Senator Trotter Yes Senator Smith No All right The bill is favorably reported
Please sign the sheet that is going around. I now recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that House Bill 455, which was voted on committee yesterday, be brought back up for reconsideration.
A motion has been made, and again, this is to remove two of the amendments that we put in yesterday after further discussion with various interested parties. So will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Brenner?
Yes.
Vice Chair Blessing?
Yes.
Meeting Member Ingram?
Yes.
Senator Huffman?
Yes.
Senator Gaylor?
Yes.
Senator Petrona?
Yes.
Senator Smith?
Yes.
A motion to reconsider prevails. The chair recognizes Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Move to amend with AM 3054.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The amendment eliminates provisions of the bill that permits school districts, community schools, and STEM schools to implement wearable panic alert systems in school facilities.
Are there any objections to the amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted. I recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Move to amend with AM 3056.
The amendment is in order. Will you please explain the amendment?
The amendment eliminates provisions requiring due to established depositories for English language arts and math that contain the high-quality core curriculum and instructional materials in the list of evidence-based intervention programs selected by the Department in English language arts and reading and math.
Are there any objections to this amendment? Seeing none, the amendment is adopted, and for both of those amendments, we are going to work on those over the summer and see if we can come back in the fall. With that, I also authorize the Legislative Service Commission to harmonize the changes to the substitute bill, and I now recognize Vice Chair Blessing for a motion.
Hey, Mr. Chairman, move to favorably report amended substitute House Bill 455 to the Committee on Rules and Reference.
The motion has been made. Will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Renner?
Yes.
Vice Chair Blanky?
Yes.
No.
Senator Hoffman?
Yes.
Senator Gale?
Yes.
Senator Catron?
Yes.
Senator?
No.
Okay, the bill has passed and will be re-referred back to rules in reference. Without anything else to come before the committee, the committee is hereby adjourned.