House Education Committee – HB 96
The Ohio House Education Committee met both Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning this week. There were over 200 testimonies listed for HB 96 (Operating Budget) hearings. To watch recordings, you can visit ohiochannel.org. To read testimonies, you can visit this link: https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/education/meetings/cmte_h_education_1_2025-03-04-0215_47
OAGC provided testimony requesting the reinstatement of gifted professional development funds as well as lower GIS:student ratios. Both OAGC Executive Director, Abbie Sigmon, and OAGC member and Awards Chair, Beth Wilson-Fish provided testimony during Tuesday’s hearing.
This committee will no longer be accepting testimony regarding HB 96 as the bill now moves to hearings in House Finance Committee. OAGC is tentatively scheduled to provide testimony during committee on Thursday, March 13th.
Senate Education Committee – SB113
The Ohio Senate Education Committee met Tuesday afternoon. Opening testimony was provided by the Ohio Department of Workforce and Higher Education. After the ODEW presentation, the first hearing of SB113 – Prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools was heard (Brenner). If passed in its current form, this bill would prohibit orientation or training courses regarding DEI, the continuation of existing or the establishment of new DEI offices, and using DEI in job descriptions. Similar to SB1, which just passed the Senate, the author of this bill sees DEI efforts as “a modern form of racial discrimination.” To read the bill and provided testimony, click here: https://ohiosenate.gov/committees/education/meetings/cmte_s_education_1_2025-03-04-0300_193
Federal Department of Education
Multiple media outlets are reporting that President Trump is preparing and executive order to abolish the Department of Education. President Trump has long held the belief that the Department of Education should be dismantled and abolished. Linda McMahon was voted in as the latest Secretary of the Department of Education. Drafts of the executive order have been released (please note that these are drafts and not final orders) which have instructed Secretary McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.”
The two largest impacts of the closure of the Department Education are expected to be funding to Title I students and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding. During her confirmation hearing, Secretary McMahon stated that IDEA funding may be more successfully administered through a different federal department.