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SINCE MY LAST SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE

Attended the Ohio (ACTE) Association for Career and Technical Education’s Legislative Conference in Columbus on January 25th. As one of the North Royalton City School District’s Representative on the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center Board of Education, I attend the conference along with administrators from the CVCC. The conference was very informative about the issues that face Career and Technical schools like the CVCC. Governor John Kasich addressed the group and talked about his vision for job creation and the future of education in the state. I also had an opportunity to meet with the Aide for State Representative Anielski, Aide for State Representative Dovilla, and personally met with State Senator Patton about issues related to the CVCC. Besides discussing issues related to the CVCC, I shared with our lawmakers the concerns of the North Royalton City School District regarding pending legislation on HB 136, HB 191, and HB 326.

School Board Member Dan Langshaw Testifies on HB 191
While down in Columbus, the evening of January 25th I took advantage of the unique opportunity to testify against HB 191 before the Ohio House of Representatives Education Committee on behalf of the North Royalton City School District. House Bill 191, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hayes (R-Granville) and Rep. Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland), would adjust the minimum school year for school districts from one based on days to one based on hours. The legislation also would prohibit school districts from opening prior to Labor Day or after Memorial Day, except in specified circumstances. A substitute bill was proposed and accepted during the Committee meeting I was at. The substitute version changes the minimum school year for school districts, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools and chartered nonpublic schools from 182 days to: 455 hours for half-day kindergarten; 910 hours for full-day kindergarten and grades one through six; and 1,001 hours for grades seven through 12. The substitute bill also would eliminate the prohibition against staying open after Memorial Day, but retains the bill’s prohibition against opening prior to Labor Day, while adding a waiver process by which a school district may open earlier. According to the legislation, school districts can start before Labor Day if the district or school holds a public hearing on opening prior to Labor Day, approves a resolution allowing schools to open prior to Labor Day, files a copy of the resolution with the superintendent of public instruction no later than July 1 and receives a waiver to open prior to Labor Day from the superintendent. It specifies that the superintendent cannot deny a waiver to a school that has complied with the procedure, and must make the verification within 10 business days of receiving the resolution. The effective date of the bill’s provisions was changed from 2012 to July 1, 2013.

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