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Board hears state-level policy items: property tax petition, House Bill 531 on volunteer chaplains, and the new Ohio Attendance Dashboard
Summary
A legislative update warned of a petition drive to eliminate property taxes, summarized House Bill 531 (which would allow volunteer chaplains subject to background checks and local board adoption), and raised concerns about the new statewide attendance dashboard’s data gaps and potential misuse.
Mrs. Kenberger briefed the board on several state-level developments that could affect local schools and operations.
First, she described an organized petition drive seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot to eliminate property taxes; petitioners must submit at least 413,000 valid signatures from at least 44 counties by July 1, 2026. Kenberger said a coalition called Protect Public Services has formed to outline consequences and provide data for community conversation.
She then summarized House Bill 531, explaining that the bill would allow school districts, community schools and STEM schools to receive support services from volunteer chaplains in addition to (but not in place of) school counselors. Under the bill as described to the board, volunteer chaplains would be subject to criminal-record checks and would register with the state department of education but would not be required to hold a professional license; the bill would also require each district or school to vote on whether to adopt a volunteer‑chaplain policy beginning with the 2026–27 school year.
Finally, Kenberger reviewed the Ohio Attendance Dashboard launched by the governor: she said the tool is designed to provide weekly attendance metrics, but she warned that nearly a quarter of districts were not yet uploading data, that the dashboard can lack context around absences (for example, districts with high concentrations of students experiencing homelessness or chronic illness), and that some critics fear it could be used punitively rather than as a supportive tool. Kenberger said Lakewood is participating and that users can view the district’s data on the public dashboard.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether the volunteer‑chaplain language would limit denominations; Kenberger said the bill’s language refers to religious or volunteer chaplains and she would follow up with the sponsor for specifics.
No board votes were taken on state legislation at the meeting; the update was provided for awareness and potential local policy follow-up.
