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Nordonia Hills board hears state budget concerns as House bill provisions could change school governance and pensions
Summary
Board members reviewed provisions in the state biennial budget (House Bill 96) and related bills that board speakers said would change school funding formulas, the State Teachers Retirement System board composition, and how local school board elections are conducted.
Board member delivered an overview of changes in the Ohio biennial budget (House Bill 96) and related legislation during the Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education meeting on June 30, 2025.
The overview said the conference committee report for House Bill 96 removed the fair school funding plan and included a 40% cap on districts' year-end cash balances with stated exceptions, funding bonuses for high-performing districts, and changes to certification of amounts spent on permanent improvements.
The board member also raised concern about changes to the State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) governance, saying the budget inserted new provisions during conference committee that remove some elected seats and replace them with appointed seats. "This goes directly against democracy and takes away the voice of the people who are being served," the board member said. The speaker said those changes were not part of the governor's, House's, or Senate's published budgets and were added in conference committee deliberations.
The presenter said House Bill 96 also includes a restoration of legislative language to make the State Board of Education fully appointed and changes school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan. The speaker commented, "Every child who walks through our doors ... is not to be used as political pawns, and it is wrong, in my opinion, to make this a partisan election."
The report noted House Bill 114 had passed the Ohio House and was in the Senate; that bill would alter kindergarten admission age requirements. The speaker said a Franklin County judge had ruled school vouchers unconstitutional on three of five counts and that the decision was expected to be appealed.
No board action was taken on these state-level items during the meeting; the presentation was an informational update. The presenter said the budget had been sent to the governor's desk and that a signature or line-item veto had not been confirmed at the time of the report.
The board discussion did not adopt policy in response to these bills at the meeting; members said they would monitor developments and report back at future meetings.
