Week in Review 7-13-26

Week in Review > Week in Review 7-13-26

Posted by Buckeye Association of School Administrators on July 13th, 2026

FY26-27 BUDGET

Summarizing what is her final full fiscal year, Office of Budget and Management (OBM) Director Kimberley Murnieks told Hannah News Monday that the state ended FY26 “on a strong note. Its fiscal position has never been stronger.” Specifically, the state brought in nearly $1.8 billion over estimates, according to the preliminary data released by OBM. The state brought in a total of $30.9 billion – 6.1 percent higher than the estimated revenue of nearly $29.2 billion. And rather surprisingly, the personal income tax, which has been repeatedly cut by the Legislature, brought in $1.1 billion of that excess. However, Murnieks pointed out that was largely driven by strong returns by the stock market in 2025 – something that “may or may not” happen again. Of the $1.8 billion excess revenue, the Legislature appropriated $1.2 billion as part of budget correction bill HB479 (Schmidt). Those appropriations include the following:

– $35 million to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, taking it slightly over $4 billion – “the highest balance ever.”

– $320 million for the Expanded Sales Tax Holiday Fund which reimburses the state General Revenue Fund (GRF) and local governments for foregone sales tax revenues from the sales tax holiday. Murnieks explained that while the sales tax holiday in 2026 will run for three days over a weekend, the 2027 holiday is to run 15 days.

– $350 million for a one-year property tax reduction for those who receive the homestead exemption.

– $310 million to replenish funds transferred out of the Medicaid Reserve Fund to pay the state’s share of money owed Ohio nursing homes under the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in LeadingAge Ohio v. Ohio Dept. of Medicaid.

– $200 million to the state’s Debt Service Reduction Fund to use for a portion of the capital appropriations in lieu of issuing debt or to pay down existing debt to “save future interest costs,” Murnieks explained.

BUSINESS/CORPORATE

While the Legislature is on summer break, a pair of digital advertising trucks outside the Statehouse touted Ohio’s recognition as the “top state for business” under CNBC rankings released on Thursday. The Buckeye State was ranked fifth by CNBC in 2025. Gov. Mike DeWine joined CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn in an appearance on the network to announce that recognition, saying it was “a good way to go out” with his term ending in January. DeWine highlighted the importance of JobsOhio as a private entity and state government actions to make the state more business friendly. He further noted Ohio’s natural resources, the H2Ohio program, and its effort to “win with people.”

FY27-28 CAPITAL APPROPRIATIONS

Travel between campuses of the Ohio School for the Deaf and Ohio State School for the Blind should be faster and easier in the future after lawmakers agreed to the capital budget funding request for a new bridge. The two campuses on the North side of Columbus abut one another but sit on opposite sides of Bill Moose Run, a stream and ravine. That means about two miles of travel on foot or by car along public roads to get from one school to the other. Of the $13.6 million provided to Ohio Deaf and Blind Education Services – the umbrella agency for the schools – in SB450 (Cirino), $10.1 million will fund the Campus Connector, a drivable and walkable bridge over Bill Moose Run. In requesting the money, Ohio Deaf and Blind Education Services said staff frequently travel between the campuses multiple times per day, meaning the bridge will cut fuel use, vehicle wear and tear and travel time.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

Bipartisan legislation that would eliminate marriage for those under the age of 18 did not clear the Senate before lawmakers went on their summer break last month despite a push by an advocacy group and clearing committee on a unanimous vote. Still, Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) told reporters before the break that he supports SB341 (DeMora-Blessing) and thinks there is a “good chance we are still going to pass it,” despite its delay. However, the bill still needs to clear the House before it could be sent to the governor for his signature. While lawmakers in previous years eliminated marriage for those ages 16 and under, it is still legal under Ohio law to marry at the age of 17 with juvenile court approval and under certain conditions. Under SB341, introduced earlier this year by Sens. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) and Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati), the absolute age requirement for marriage would be set at 18.

The DeWine administration is planning to send an additional $1 million in funds to Vinton County to help local children services officials address an ongoing child abuse case. Earlier this month, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on a Hamden residence in Vinton County, removing 16 children and placing them in temporary custody of children services. “The conditions these children lived in were horrific, and we are sickened by it. Fortunately, this tragic chapter has closed, but their recovery will take time,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said after the children were removed. Four individuals — Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders – have been charged with 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony. The Department Children and Youth (DCY) will be going before the Controlling Board Monday, July 13 seeking approval of the last-minute addition to the board’s agenda that will transfer $1 million from the Controlling Board’s Emergency Purposes/Contingencies Fund to DCY for use in Vinton County.

EDUCATION

Late Thursday, July 2 the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) announced that it is beginning an investigation into Columbus City Schools in regard to spring 2026 state tests. According to DEW, “The district self-reported anomalies with testing results at two schools — Independence High School and Walnut Ridge High School — and that the district would be invalidating spring scores for all state tests in all subjects at these two schools. Information has also been forwarded to the State Board of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct.”

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OSHAA) recently announced the new divisional breakdowns for the state’s winter sports teams tournaments based on updated enrollment data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW). Nearly 350 teams from boys basketball, girls basketball, swimming and diving, and bowling will play in new divisions during the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons following DEW’s biennial updates to the number of students that actually play on each team’s respective roster. OHSAA’s updated division lists for each sport can be found at the following links:

– Boys and girls swimming and diving HERE.

– Boys and girls bowling HERE.

– Girls basketball HERE.

– Boys basketball HERE.

The Ohio Pupil Transportation Workgroup was created in budget bill HB96 (Stewart) to look at ways to improve student transportation has recommended that all students, whether they attend a public or private school, should be guaranteed transport to their school of choice, as well as the end of a designation schools may use to get around the state requirement.

The State Board of Education announced Wednesday the following cohort of 11 District “Teachers of the Year” who will be considered for the 2027 Ohio “Teacher of the Year” award:

– District 1 – Kasey Church, who teaches special education students in grades 6-12 at Napoleon Junior/Senior High School.

– District 2 – Melissa Kowalski, a grades 7-12 science teacher in Put-in Bay Schools on South Bass Island.

– District 3 – Sarah Walters, a literacy instructional support specialist in Troy City Schools.

– District 4 – Aaron Parker, who teaches agricultural career-tech courses in Cincinnati Public Schools.

– District 5 – Rebecca Minton, an agriculture education teacher at Peebles High School in Adams County Ohio Valley Schools.

– District 6 – Taya Kidd, who teaches second-grade students at French Run Elementary in Reynoldsburg City Schools.

– District 7 – Tom Hering, who teaches high school English at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware City Schools.

– District 8 – Elizabeth Barkan, head band director for middle and high school at Fairless Local Schools in Stark County.

– District 9 – Ralena Bevington, orchestra and music teacher in Canton City Schools.

– District 10 – Rachel Johnson, who teaches students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing at Akron Public Schools.

– District 11 – Angela Bowman, an intervention specialist with Cleveland Metropolitan Schools.

The Ohio Supreme Court agreed this week to add a second case to its docket on the question of whether courts or the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) should handle disagreements on union dues deductions. In March, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Matthew Sheldon, a Carrollton Exempted Village Schools employee who ended his membership with the local Ohio Association of School Employees (OAPSE) affiliate but continued to see dues withdrawn from his paycheck. The Seventh District Appeals Court agreed with a trial court ruling that concluded jurisdiction in the dispute rested with SERB, prompting Sheldon to go to the Supreme Court. Around the same time that justices took up Sheldon’s case, the Sixth District Court of Appeals arrived at a similar conclusion as the Seventh District in the case of Katrina Vanderveer, a Pike-Delta-York Local Schools paraprofessional who also quit her local OAPSE affiliate and tried unsuccessfully to stop the deduction of union dues. The dispute is the latest in a series of lawsuits over dues since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 in the case Janus v. AFSCME that public sector labor unions cannot require non-members to pay fees for collective bargaining activities.

The DEW K-12 Industry-Recognized Credential Review Committee met for the second time Thursday to continue conversation regarding new credential bundles to add to the state’s industry-recognized credential list. The department will now collect recommended credential bundles from school districts, businesses and credential venders via an application process intended to provide stakeholders with a way to propose different bundle combinations. According to DEW official Josh Miller, the application will open Saturday, Aug. 1, and close Saturday, Oct. 31. Application responses will be reviewed and evaluated during the committee’s meeting in November.

ELECTIONS 2026

Will Democrats be able to break the Republican supermajority in the Ohio House? Can Republicans add to their near historic numbers in either chamber? While it is unlikely either chamber would flip to Democrats in the fall, a number of races on the ballot could help decide whether majority Republicans will be able to overcome a governor’s veto should Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton win, or whether Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy will be governing with a smaller majority than his predecessor did. Hannah News identified 20 legislative races in the Ohio House and Senate that partisan indexes suggest could be in play, though the candidates themselves will be the ultimate deciding factor.

Speaking to CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn about Ohio’s new recognition as the “top state for business,” Gov. Mike DeWine briefly addressed the race to succeed him and how businesses can expect a predictable environment regardless of who is elected. DeWine told CNBC he’s endorsed Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, noting his focus on economic development and education, but said it is a “close race” and “dead even” in recent polling between Ramaswamy and Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton. Asked by Cohn if he thought it would be a “tragedy” for Ohio if Acton were elected, DeWine — who noted he’d selected Acton to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Health in his first term — said Ohio governors are “either center-left or center-right.”

GOVERNOR

Gov. Mike DeWine has declared a state of emergency in Mahoning County after severe weather passed through the area on Sunday. He toured the areas with significant storm damage Monday with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. “By declaring a state of emergency, we’re able to expedite state assistance in communities that need help with cleanup,” DeWine said in a prepared statement. “We want to do everything we can to help those impacted by this storm recover and move forward.” The declaration directs all relevant state of Ohio departments and agencies to lend their services, equipment, supplies, and personnel as necessary to assist in the cleanup effort.

The governor signed the following bills:

– HB20 (T. Hall-Plummer) to modify the offense of obstructing official business when the victim is an emergency service responder, to increase the penalty for obstructing official business when the victim is an emergency service responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, and to clarify that heightened penalties apply for menacing a probation officer.

– HB105 (Craig-J. Thomas) to revise and supplement state regulations concerning non-recourse litigation funding agreements.

– HB195 (Isaacsohn-A. Mathews) to make changes to the Ohio Uniform Commercial Code and to make changes regarding billing for reimbursement of pay for retired judges serving as active judges.

– HB210 (Roemer-Plummer) regarding the sale of used catalytic converters.

– HB251 (Willis) to establish requirements related to the use and purchase of an unmanned aerial vehicle by law enforcement and other public entities and to expressly incorporate additional aviation facilities into the Aeronautics Law.

– HB292 (T. Mathews-Santucci) to establish the Ohio Defense and Space Advisory Commission and the Defense and Aerospace Industries Expansion Program, under which the Department of Development may make grants, and to make an appropriation.

– HB297 (Ritter-Newman) to increase the amount a county may provide to military and veterans organizations, and civic organizations, for Memorial Day expenses.

– HB433 (Klopfenstein-Fowler Arthur) to revise various laws governing agriculture.

– HB492 (Ray-Abrams) to expand the prohibition against interfering with arrest to all motor vehicle-related laws and require drivers and passengers to disclose their name, address, and date of birth to a peace officer on request.

– HB533 (K. Miller) to add to the list of vehicles that can be used to commit a vehicular homicide or vehicular assault.

– HB541 (McClain) to designate a portion of U.S. Route 42 in Morrow County as the “Deputy Daniel ‘Weston’ Sherrer Memorial Highway.”

– SB162 (Blessing) regarding the timeframe for health insurer recoupment from health care providers.

– SB276 (Roegner) to ratify the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, to modify the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact), to require, instead of permit, continuing education for massage therapists, regarding the success sequence curriculum, to require the Department of Education and Workforce to submit a report regarding a single, statewide hybrid assessment system, and to enact the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act regarding student petitions to participate in extracurricular activities at neighboring public schools.

– SB315 (Schaffer-Craig) regarding program integrity for certain components of the Medicaid program, regarding the authority of the attorney general and auditor of state, to require Ohio’s SNAP program to begin using chip-enabled EBT cards, and to name section 5101.542 of the Revised Code as amended in this act and section 5101.5411 of the Revised Code as enacted in this act the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act and to name the remainder of this act the Ohio Medicaid Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Qualifying troopers and cadets now have a streamlined path to earn a college degree under a new first-of-its-kind agreement between Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) which aims to expand access to educational opportunities in law enforcement, reduce time to degree attainment for troopers and support workforce development in the state. The signing took place at the OSHP Training Academy in Columbus Tuesday afternoon, with Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) in attendance alongside BGSU and OSHP leadership.

Three Ohio public universities have been picked to receive a combined total of $2.5 million to develop and expand structured literacy centers across the state, Gov. Mike DeWine’s office announced recently. The funding will be dispersed among the University of Akron (UA), Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and Miami University (MU), with UA to receive $1 million to expand its Center for Structured Literacy and BGSU and MU each to receive $750,000 to advance their own structured literacy programs.

Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Chancellor Mike Duffey recently announced the latest round of Ohio colleges, universities and Ohio technical centers to earn the Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation, marking the fourth cohort of designation recipients. The Ohio Reach Postsecondary Designation is awarded to campuses that have built a process for identifying and supporting students with experience in foster care, kinship care, or other out-of-home placements as they pursue postsecondary education. The most recent cohort of designated institutions includes the following:

– Central State University

– Davis University

– John Carroll University

– Marion Technical College

– Mount St. Joseph University

– Mount Vernon Nazarene University

– Ohio State University, Lima

– University of Toledo

– Wilberforce University

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) Thursday formalized its part of an agreement included in capital budget SB450 (Cirino) to help Ohio’s only public historically Black university, Central State University (CSU), regain its financial footing with state oversight. OFCC approved a resolution that delegates authority to the OFCC executive director to negotiate and execute a contract with CSU at the request of the university’s president concerning facilities improvement projects. The request to consider and negotiate an agreement is pursuant to the language required of CSU in SB450. OFCC Executive Director Joy Bledsoe said that CSU President Morakinyo A.O. Kuti had advised that OFCC take on the role laid out in SB450 to continue the existing relationship between CSU and the state.

PENSIONS

The new executive director of the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) joins the pension fund at a similar salary to his predecessor. SERS provided Hannah News the offer letter for Ray Higgins, who began Monday, July 6 after eight years at the helm of the Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi. According to the offer letter, Higgins will be paid $347,500 per year and receive other benefits available generally to salaried SERS employees. As of last summer, Stensrud was paid $345,000 per year. By comparison, State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) Executive Director Steve Toole was the highest paid system leader upon his hiring last year at $405,0000, while the smallest state pension fund, Highway Patrol Retirement System (HPRS), last year paid Executive Director Carl Roark $180,000, plus potential bonuses based on his evaluation.