House Bill 235
Summary of House Bill 235
DESCRIPTION
Restructures State Board of Education to 15-member, fully elected, partisan board; Shifts from 19-member, elected and appointed, nonpartisan board, removes 8 appointed members; Re-aligns State Board districts with 15 Congressional districts, instead of Ohio Senate districts; Full transition scheduled for 2027 TARGETS State Board of Education |
PRIMARY SPONSOR(S)
Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur COMMITTEE House Primary and Secondary Education Committee INTRODUCED July 5, 2023 HEARINGS Watch Hearings | Read Testimony Sponsor Testimony BILL General Info | Bill Text | Analysis Amendments |
What does House Bill 235 do?
HB 235 restructures the State Board of Education into a fully elected,
15-member board with partisan elections.
15-member board with partisan elections.
Current structure of the State Board of Education (SBOE):
- 19 nonpartisan members -- 11 elected by Ohio voters, 8 appointed by the Ohio Governor and confirmed by the Ohio Senate
- 11 SBOE districts are represented by the 11 elected members
- SBOE districts align with Ohio Senate districts; each district contains 3 contiguous Senate districts
- All SBOE elections are nonpartisan
Structure
- Changes the number of SBOE members from 19 to 15.
- Restructures SBOE to a fully-elected board, eliminates 8 appointed members.
- SBOE districts would align with Ohio’s congressional districts. This bill removes the current SBOE district structure based on Ohio Senate districts.
- SBOE elections would be partisan (D or R next to each candidate’s name on the ballot).
- Dictates where SBOE races will be located on the ballot now that they will be partisan rather than nonpartisan.
- Removes all current language relating to appointed SBOE members.
Operations
- The Director of the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will assign department employees to assist the SBOE with its duties
- SBOE must hold at least one public meeting each month for hearings on any rules proposed by the DEW director
- The DEW director, the deputy director of primary and secondary education, or the deputy director of career-technical education will attend each public SBOE meeting
- SBOE must hold at least one hearing on each proposed rule prior to its adoption by the director.
- SBOE must accept public testimony and written comments about the rule.
- SBOE must prepare a report about each rule based on comments received at the hearings.
- The report will include a summary of the public testimony and written comments submitted.
- The DEW will post SBOE’s report on its publicly accessible website.
Redistricting
- When congressional districts change, SBOE districts would also change to align with them. If more than one board of education member whose term will not expire would represent the same district under the newly drawn districts, the legislature designates which member shall represent each district for the balance of the members' terms.
Transition
- Until December 31, 2024, SBOE would continue to consist of 19 members, including 11 elected members representing the SBOE districts they represent currently, four members at-large appointed to serve terms expiring December 31, 2024, and four members at-large appointed to serve terms expiring December 31, 2026.
- SBOE members would then be elected to districts aligning with Ohio’s congressional districts during the November 2024 election.
- Exception: Elected SBOE members whose terms began before law went into place, with terms expiring on January 1, 2027, will represent the congressional district in which they reside as of October 6, 2024, for the remainder of the member's term. No members will be elected to the state board from that congressional district in 2024 (Essentially, grandfathering in current elected SBOE members until January 2027).
- From January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026, SBOE would consist of 19 members — fifteen elected members plus the four members at-large that had been appointed to serve terms expiring December 31, 2026.
Full Implementation
- This new law would be fully implemented on January 1, 2027, when the SBOE would consist of 15 elected members.
- SBOE members elected in the November 2024 election would serve a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2025, and ending on January 1, 2029.
- SBOE members elected in the November 2026 election would serve a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2027, and ending on January 1, 2031.
Testimony
**Do NOT submit testimony until the appropriate hearing is announced**
HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY
STEP 1:
PREPARE YOUR TESTIMONY
Read tips for preparing and submitting testimony HERE
STEP 2:
EMAIL TESTIMONY DOCUMENTS TO COMMITTEE
Email a PDF of your testimony & this completed Witness Slip to TBD
**IMPORTANT**
Do NOT send your testimony until the appropriate hearing is announced.
You must submit your testimony 24 hours ahead of the scheduled hearing.
Indicate in your email that you are submitting testimony and ask for a confirmation of receipt.
All testimony will be uploaded TBD
STEP 3:
ARRIVE EARLY FOR IN-PERSON TESTIMONY
Arrive at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled hearing
There is convenient parking in the Statehouse Parking Garage