Week in Review 7-27-26

Week in Review > Week in Review 7-27-26

Posted by Buckeye Association of School Administrators on July 27th, 2026

BALLOT ISSUES

Four Republicans were appointed to write arguments in favor of Issue 3, the constitutional amendment that would enshrine a photo identification requirement to vote in the Ohio Constitution, while three Democrats were chosen to write the arguments against the issue. Under the Ohio Revised Code, when the General Assembly adopts a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment, it may designate a group of members who voted in support of the resolution to prepare arguments for the proposed amendment, and a group of members who voted in opposition to the resolution to prepare arguments against the proposed amendment. Earlier this session, lawmakers also adopted HCR3 (Huffman), which gave the House speaker and Senate president the authority to designate those members. This week, the leaders tapped Reps. Adam Bird (R-Cincinnati) and Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown) and Sens. Jane Timken (R-Canton) and Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) to write the arguments for the issue, which was adopted by the General Assembly earlier this year in the form of SJR10 (Timken-Gavarone). Reps. Desiree Tims (D-Dayton) and Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) and Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) were designated to write the arguments against Issue 3.

CHILDREN/FAMILIES

A recent report from personal finance website WalletHub placed Ohio at 33rd nationally for children’s health care, putting it fourth among neighbor states. Pennsylvania led at seventh nationally, followed by Michigan, 27th; Indiana, 30th; West Virginia, 35th; and Kentucky, 47th. The five highest states were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Hawaii. The five lowest were Kentucky, Montana, Alaska, Arizona and Mississippi. The report ranked states on three subcategories, with Ohio 11th nationally and second among neighbors in children’s oral health; 29th nationally and third among neighbors in children’s health and access to health care; and 44th nationally and fifth among neighbors in children’s nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

ECONOMY

Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent in June 2026, down from 3.7 percent in May 2026, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said Friday, as the state’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 5,500 over the month. ODJFS said the number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 209,000, down from 219,000 in May 2026. The number of unemployed has decreased by 63,000 in the past 12 months from 272,000. The June unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1.0 percentage point from 4.6 percent in June 2025. The U.S. unemployment rate for June 2026 was 4.2 percent, down from 4.3 percent in May 2026 but up from 4.1 percent in June 2025.

The number of cases in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio increased from 2025 to 2026, though the percentage increase of cases pending in both Ohio courts was smaller than the increase in many courts around the country. For the 12-month period ending on March 31, 2026, the number of cases pending in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Ohio increased from 12,242 to 12,491, or by 2.0 percent over the number of cases at the end of the 12 months ending March 31, 2025.

EDUCATION

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development (DEW) Tuesday released an updated list of K-12 industry recognized credentials that it said will help ensure that post-high school opportunities for students are aligned with Ohio’s current and future workforce needs. The release of the updated list comes as DEW has convened the K-12 Industry-Recognized Credential Review Committee to examine overhauling Ohio’s K-12 comprehensive credential system. According to DEW, industry-recognized credentials allow students to demonstrate technical or professional readiness as part of Ohio’s high school graduation requirements. Credentials come in many forms, including occupational licenses or certifications. They signal competency, knowledge, and skills directly aligned to an occupation or specific career field. The new credential list will be available beginning in the 2026-2027 school year and will be required for the Class of 2030, DEW said.

DEW has officially hired 50 additional ReadOhio coaches to help implement the science of reading in schools across the state, DEW Chief Academic Officer Melissa Weber-Mayrer said during the department’s monthly public meeting Thursday. The directive was laid out by Gov. Mike DeWine in his final “State of the State” address earlier this year. Additionally, the department was charged with establishing regional science of reading implementation teams and offering a free ReadOhio Coaching Credential to employed literacy coaches working for districts throughout the state.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced it has elevated girls flag football to a fully recognized sport for the 2026-27 school year, following a unanimous vote of the OHSAA Board of Directors at its June meeting. Girls flag football becomes the OHSAA’s 29th recognized sport, including 15 sports for girls and 14 for boys. According to OHSAA, there are now 23 high school state associations in the United States that sanction girls flag football and a total of 40 states that offer girls high school football programs.

A recent report by personal finance website WalletHub on states with the best school systems put Ohio 36th nationally and second-lowest among neighbor states. Indiana led at 15th nationally, followed by Kentucky, 17th; Pennsylvania, 18th; Michigan, 33rd; and West Virginia, 47th. The five highest states were Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. The five lowest were West Virginia, Oregon, Oklahoma, Alaska and New Mexico. States were also grouped into two subcategories, with Ohio 33rd nationally and second-lowest among neighbors in safety and 38th nationally and lowest among neighbors in quality.

ELECTIONS 2026

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton Monday released more details on how she would address high property taxes, including expanding the Homestead Exemption and offering a rebate to homeowners under certain income thresholds who see a spike in their property taxes. Acton’s campaign blamed the increase in property taxes on a “systemic state underfunding of our public schools, several rounds of re-appraisals, market forces, and our corrupt Statehouse giving tax breaks to the wealthy.”

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

The Lorain County Republican Central Committee is set to pick the ballot replacement for the 52nd House District after the nominee, Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) withdrew from the race in the wake of his appointment to Ohio’s Ninth District Court of Appeals. Manning had filed to run for the seat, currently held by his mother Rep. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), who in turn is running for his Senate seat in the wake of both hitting term limits. The county Republican Party will meet Tuesday, July 28 to name a replacement candidate.

TAXATION

Ohioans will see a shortened back-to-school sales tax holiday this year that will last only three days and cover fewer items than in recent years. The holiday will start at midnight on Friday, Aug. 7 and last until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. While lawmakers had created an expanded sales tax holiday in FY24-25 budget, 135-HB33 (Edwards), to include items priced $500 or less that would be instituted in years in which at least $60 million surplus revenue is available, the Legislature this year tapped into the set-aside fund to offset school revenue losses from major property tax reforms, which has led to the shortened 2026 holiday. According to the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT), the 2026 sales tax holiday exemption will apply to all items of clothing priced at $75 or less, school supplies priced at $20 or less, and school instruction materials priced at $20 or less instead of the higher limit.