The bill introduced by Senators Cutrona and Smith seeks to amend various sections of the Revised Code, focusing on the dissolution of academic distress commissions and the establishment of student support teams in low-performing schools. It repeals existing provisions related to academic distress commissions and introduces new regulations that prioritize supportive interventions over punitive measures. Additionally, the bill allows law enforcement agencies to provide school resource officer services to chartered nonpublic schools, streamlining the process for school districts under academic distress to incur debt without prior approval, thereby enhancing their financial autonomy.

Moreover, the legislation addresses school district evaluation by suspending overall letter grades and rankings for certain years, ensuring these do not lead to sanctions. It mandates the formation of student support teams that will develop recommendations to improve various aspects of student engagement and performance, which must be submitted to the district board for approval. The bill also outlines the process for establishing community learning centers and updates eligibility criteria for educational choice scholarships, eliminating income verification requirements and allowing students to maintain scholarship eligibility through grade twelve. Additionally, it sets new training and operational standards for school resource officers, ensuring they contribute to a safe educational environment while clarifying their roles in both public and chartered nonpublic schools.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 133.06, 505.431, 3302.036, 3302.042, 3302.16, 3302.17, 3310.03, 3311.29, 3313.951, 3314.102, 3302.10, 3302.103, 3302.11, 3302.111, 3302.12, H.B