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Board hears update on Ohio House Bill 715 and federal education funding proposals
Summary
The board was briefed on House Bill 715's reporting requirements for private schools receiving vouchers and on a White House proposal to cut and consolidate several federal education programs into a $2 billion block grant; board members discussed local funding implications if federal supports were reduced.
The Lakewood City School District received a legislative update on April 13 focused on two items that could affect district reporting and local funding.
The legislative reporter summarized House Bill 715, introduced by Republican Representative Gail Manning of North Ridgeville, which would require the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to publish, annually and online, information about private schools that receive taxpayer-funded vouchers. The reporter said the bill would call for data such as the number of scholarship students by program, the amount of state support schools receive and, where EdChoice vouchers apply, the prior school attended by scholarship students. The board was told the current draft allows private schools to opt for certain alternative assessments rather than Ohio's state tests.
The board also heard a federal-level briefing: the White House proposal described in the report would zero out funding for several longstanding programs (professional development, services for English learners, before-and-after-school programs, supports for students experiencing homelessness and others) and consolidate them into a roughly $2 billion block grant labeled in the briefing as the "Make Education Great Again" (MEGA) proposal. The presenter noted that the proposed block grant would be substantially smaller than the programs it would replace and that, if such cuts occurred, local districts could face pressure to backfill services.
Board members discussed the practical effect of lost federal funding, noting that services such as English-learner supports and homelessness services still must be provided locally even if federal dollars are reduced. The legislative reporter observed that similar proposals have been floated before and that the legislature's return in May will determine whether House Bill 715 is considered further.
No formal board action was taken; the presentation was provided for information and to guide monitoring of pending legislation.
