Superintendent warns state bills could limit advocacy and threaten licensure

The Cuyahoga Heights superintendent used his Feb. 17 report to alert the board to several state bills that, he said, could affect district finances and the authority of local educators.

On House Bill 671, the superintendent said the bill’s changed language would levy a per-student amount on districts that join a lawsuit challenging voucher policy: "It's $2 per student. So it costs us $1,500 a year," he said, describing the local dollar impact for this district.

He also reviewed House Bill 473 (which he said targets administrative and pension provisions) and flagged Senate Bill 311, saying it would create a new mechanism to review or suspend a superintendent’s license for knowingly breaking the law. "If the superintendent knowingly violates the law, then their license automatically goes up for review to be potentially suspended or revoked," he told the board, adding that board direction could change who is liable under the proposal.

To help trustees understand potential trade-offs from broader tax reform, the superintendent described a spreadsheet tool that compares current property-tax allocations to projected income-tax replacements and said the district’s local reliance for revenues is high: he cited district shares near 51–53% in nearby villages as part of the demonstration. He cautioned board members that the district must not use school resources for political campaigning but said it can provide factual information on district impacts.

The superintendent framed the presentation as preparatory: he encouraged trustees to attend a committee meeting on March 25 that will review property-tax scenarios and said he would share his calculator with the board. The briefing did not produce any formal board action.