Ohio education chief outlines executive budget: literacy, workforce training and bus safety among priorities

Columbus — Stephen Dacken, director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, told the Ohio House Finance Committee on Thursday that the governor’s executive budget maintains and expands investments in literacy, career-technical education and student wellness while asking the Legislature to consider changes to the school funding formula.

Dacken said the budget builds on last session’s Read Ohio investments and would continue funding literacy coaches, ask districts to use some foundation funds for science-of-reading implementation, and direct larger portions of state support to districts with the lowest literacy rates. "We must accelerate our shared goal of reading proficiency for all students," he said.

The department highlighted several specific proposals to the committee: continued support for the Read Ohio initiative (including 84 literacy coaches serving 125 schools), a $10 million principal apprenticeship program, elimination of middle-school waivers so seventh-graders can access career-technical education beginning in the 2026–27 school year, up to $7 million per year to reimagine regional tech-prep centers, $30 million for a school bus safety grant program and $4 million for expanded driver training. The executive budget also…