To waive the required minimum instructional hours for Ashtabula Lakeside High School due to the school building being unusable and to declare an emergency.
Summary
HB43 is a narrow, district-specific school relief bill for the Ashtabula City School District. It authorizes the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, upon application and approval, to waive certain instructional-hour and course-completion requirements for Ashtabula Lakeside High School for the 2024-2025 school year because the school building became unusable after winter weather and a gubernatorial state of emergency.
The bill has two main effects. First, it allows affected twelfth-grade students to be treated as having met the minimum instructional-hour requirement needed to earn graduation units under Ohio law if their failure to complete the units resulted from the building closure. Second, it waives the minimum number of hours the building must be open with students in attendance for purposes of the district’s eligibility for state funding under the school finance statutes. The measure is framed as an emergency response to an unusual local disruption rather than a broad policy change.
Impact
HB43 temporarily modifies the application of Ohio Revised Code sections 3313.603 and 3313.48 for one school building and one school year, and it affects the district’s access to state aid under Chapter 3317. It gives the Department of Education and Workforce discretion to approve waivers tied to the unusable building, protecting student graduation progress and preserving district funding eligibility despite missed instructional time caused by the weather-related emergency.
Sentiment
The available voting record suggests strong bipartisan support and little opposition. The bill advanced unanimously in committee, passed the House by a wide margin, and then passed the Senate unanimously. That pattern indicates general agreement that the district faced an exceptional circumstance warranting targeted relief for students and the school district.
Contention
There is no recorded committee testimony in the provided materials, and the votes show minimal controversy. Any potential point of concern would likely be the precedent of waiving instructional-hour requirements and funding conditions, but the bill’s narrow scope, limited duration, and specific connection to a declared emergency appear to have largely resolved that issue. No named opponents or substantive objections are reflected in the available record.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3505.01 and 3505.10 of the Revised Code to modify the deadline for a political party to certify its nominees for President and Vice-President to the Secretary of State.
To delay the deadline for a major political party to certify its presidential and vice presidential candidates to the Secretary of State for the 2024 general election.