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Ohio House approves emergency waiver of instructional hours for Ashtabula’s Lakeside High School
Summary
The Ohio House passed House Bill 43 as an emergency measure to waive up to 24 required instructional hours for Ashtabula Lakeside High School after a roof collapse tied to severe winter storms, saying the change protects seniors’ ability to graduate and the district’s funding.
The Ohio House on Feb. 25 passed House Bill 43 as an emergency measure to waive required minimum instructional hours for Lakeside High School in the Ashtabula City School District after storm damage made the building unusable.
Representative David Thomas, who introduced the emergency clause, told colleagues the waiver must take effect before the end of the school year so affected seniors can graduate and the district can secure funding for the next school year. “We ask for support for the emergency clause for this bill,” Thomas said on the floor.
The waiver was prompted by a roof collapse at Lakeside High School following heavy snow over the Thanksgiving weekend, which Representative Fowler Arthur described as producing “multiple days of hazardous road conditions” and leaving some residents buried for up to 10 days while crews cleared roads. Arthur, who spoke to the bill’s substance, said Ashtabula officials pivoted to alternate class arrangements but still face lost instructional time that threatens seniors’ on-time graduation and next-year funding.
The bill authorizes a limited waiver—up to 24 instructional hours—and allows the district and the Ohio Department of Education to use the state competency graduation requirement in lieu of the minimum-hours rule. Representative Robinson urged support on the floor, saying the bill puts students and teachers “at the center” of the response.
The House first voted to keep the emergency clause in the bill, with the clerk recording 95 affirmative votes and 1 negative. On final passage as an emergency measure, the clerk recorded 91 affirmative votes and 6 negative votes; the bill was declared passed as an emergency measure on the House floor.
The measure does not specify details beyond the waiver amount and use of the competency requirement; any implementation steps and administrative approvals were left to the school district and the Department of Education as described in floor remarks.
The House amended and agreed to the bill title on the floor before concluding the vote. The change takes immediate effect for purposes described in the bill text as passed by the chamber; further administrative steps will determine how the waiver is applied to student records and funding calculations.
House Bill 43 passed with the emergency clause and will proceed to any subsequent steps required in the legislative process.
