House Education Committee holds informal hearing on waiver request after Ashtabula high school roof collapse

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 weekend, Northern Ashtabula County received over 5 feet of wet, heavy snow… Unfortunately, multiple structures incurred serious and significant damage, including Lakeside High School, where the roof collapsed,” Representative Fowler Arthur said during sponsor testimony. She added that the Department of Education and Workforce indicated it has granted similar waivers previously and is supportive of a waiver in this case.

Ashtabula Area City Schools Superintendent Lisa Newsome recounted emergency actions taken after she received an alarm Dec. 1 and staff reported roof leakage. “I had 6 feet of snow in my circle. I could not get out. I could not get to the high school myself,” Newsome said. She told the committee that within about 24 hours the center section of the high school roof had collapsed; district staff and community partners relocated students to two nearby buildings and kept most learning in person after a four-day planning effort.

Newsome said the district built a modest scheduling cushion earlier in the school year but still faces a shortfall of hours without the requested three-day waiver. “What we are asking for at this time, is just a waiver of the of the 3 days,” she said, noting that if further calamity days are needed the district could add minutes to the school day or add make-up days at the end of the year.

Committee members asked clarifying questions. Representative Sean Brennan asked whether the bill would also provide flexibility on state assessments; Fowler Arthur said the bill “does not currently provide any waivers for assessment” and is narrowly targeted to the minimum hours requirement and state funding/graduation eligibility. Representative David Thomas noted the high school also serves as a staging area for local first responders and the nearby Perry Nuclear Power Plant, adding urgency to restoring the facility.

No vote was taken at the informal hearing; sponsors answered committee questions and said they were available for further inquiries. Chair Fowler Arthur noted written testimonies had been uploaded for committee review. The committee concluded the informal hearing on House Bill 43 and moved on to other business.

Ending: The committee recorded the hearing and posted written testimony from other stakeholders; sponsors said they were available to provide additional information as the bill moves through committee.