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House Education Committee holds informal hearing on waiver request after Ashtabula high school roof collapse
Summary
Lawmakers heard sponsor and superintendent testimony on House Bill 43, which would waive the state minimum instructional hours requirement for Ashtabula Area City Schools after a roof collapse and extreme winter weather limited instructional time and threatened seniors' graduation and state funding.
Chairwoman Sarah Fowler Arthur (R), Representative and sponsor of House Bill 43, asked the House Education Committee on Feb. 4 to consider a temporary waiver of the state minimum instructional-hours requirement for Ashtabula Area City Schools after a section of Lakeside High School’s roof collapsed amid heavy snow.
The bill’s sponsors told the committee that Northern Ashtabula County received more than five feet of wet snow over a Thanksgiving weekend storm that damaged multiple structures, including the high school. Representative Fowler Arthur said the district minimized lost instructional time to three days (about 19.5 hours) but is seeking an exemption so seniors will be eligible to graduate and the district will not lose state funding tied to minimum hours.
“Over the Thanksgiving…
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