Governor signs grab bag of education-related amendments during "lame duck" session

Governor John Kasich has signed Senate Bill 3, a wide-ranging package of legislative amendments directed primarily at K-12 public schools. Some of the more noteworthy provisions of SB 3 include the following:

• Threshold for competitive bidding on building improvements raised from $25,000 to $50,000 (same as for municipalities)
• Reverts to prior law allowing joint vocational school district (JVSD) board members to be members of local boards with the option to appoint a person with "experience or knowledge regarding the labor needs of the state and region"
• State and district-wide student testing time generally limited to 2 percent of school year (beginning with 2017-2018 school year)
• Preparation and practice testing generally limited to 1 percent of school year
• Diagnostic testing in math and writing no longer mandatory for grades 1-2 or in writing for grade 3 (beginning with the 2017-2018 school year)
• Districts no longer required to submit plans to ODE as to how they will make up missed days with online instruction or "blizzard bags"
• Superintendents no longer required to sign home instruction diplomas

More comprehensive summaries of the bill are sure to follow.

Questions concerning the above may be referred to the attorneys of the Education practice group at Bricker & Eckler LLP. Follow the Education group on Twitter @BrickerEdLaw.

This article was reprinted from the “Bricker Bullet” that went out to BASA (Buckeye Association of School Administrators) members. Bricker Bullets are provided to BASA members as an informational service courtesy of the law firm of Bricker & Eckler LLP, a BASA Premier Partner. They are not intended to serve as legal opinion with respect to any specific person or factual situation.