Ohio lawmakers hear request to waive minimum-hour requirement after Ashtabula high school roof collapse

House Education Committee Chair Sarah Fowler Arthur presided over an informal hearing on House Bill 43 on the committee’s first session of the General Assembly, during which sponsors asked the Department of Education and Workforce to waive a state minimum-hours requirement for Ashtabula Area City Schools after a December roof collapse and successive severe weather.

The request, brought by state Representatives Sarah Fowler Arthur and David Thomas, seeks an administrative waiver of three calamity days—estimated in testimony at about 19.5 instructional hours—so that Ashtabula seniors can meet graduation and state funding thresholds. Committee members questioned district officials about testing, contingency plans and timing; the committee did not take a vote.

Why it matters: A successful waiver would prevent the district from losing state funding tied to minimum instructional hours and could clear the way for Ashtabula seniors to graduate on schedule. Members emphasized both the district’s rapid emergency response and limits on the committee’s authority versus Department of Education and Workforce policy.

Representative Fowler Arthur, chair of the House Education Committee, opened the informal hearing and turned sponsor testimony over to Vice Chair Mike Odioso and Representative David Thomas, who described storm damage in northern Ashtabula County in early December. ‘‘Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Northern Ashtabula County received over 5 feet of wet, heavy snow,’’ Fowler Arthur said in sponsor testimony, and said the snow ‘‘buried residents for over a week.’’ Thomas said photos in the sponsors’ testimony show ‘‘a total destruction for that section of the roof that was collapsed due to the snow, and the water damage as well.’’

Lisa Newsome, superintendent of Ashtabula Area City Schools, provided proponent testimony. Newsome said district staff discovered roof leakage on Dec. 1 and that ‘‘within 24 hours, the entire center section of our high school, the roof completely collapsed onto the Second Floor.’’ She said the district pivoted to alternate classroom arrangements and ‘‘were able to minimize the loss of instructional time to just 3 days or about 19 and a half hours.’’ Newsome added the district found nearby buildings to house students and that about 850 high school students had to be relocated; she said teachers and staff have been ‘‘amazing.’’

Committee members pressed for details the bill does not currently address. Representative Sean Brennan asked whether the bill would provide any flexibility for state assessments; Fowler Arthur replied the bill ‘‘does not currently provide any waivers for assessment. It would be specific to the minimum hours required and specified to meet state funding criteria and to allow the seniors to graduate from high school.’’ Brennan later urged that assessment concerns be raised when the superintendent testifies; Newsome said teachers were ‘‘comfortable with the amount of time for our state testing’’ because the district administered makeups in January.

Representative Gail Manning and others asked whether the district could make up the time by adding days or minutes later in the year. Newsome said the district had built a cushion ‘‘of 49 hours from the beginning of the school year’’ but that with current absences she was ‘‘6 hours short without those 3 waiver days.’’ She said if more calamity days are needed the district would consider adding minutes to the school day or adding days at the end of the year; the district’s last scheduled day for seniors was stated as May 29 and the last district school day as June 4 in testimony.

Members and staff noted that waivers of the state minimum-hours requirement have been granted in the past on a case-by-case basis by the Department of Education and Workforce and that the department would be the authority to act on such requests. Representative Odioso asked whether the Ashtabula request might be premature given the winter season; Newsome described the district’s current hour shortfall and contingency planning.

No formal motion or vote was recorded during the hearing. Chair Fowler Arthur closed the informal hearing after the superintendent’s testimony and the committee proceeded to next business.

The committee received written testimony and photos submitted by the sponsors and district; committee members requested additional briefing materials as the legislature considers any formal action or amendment to HB 43.