Ohio Closer To Ending State Takeover Of East Cleveland Schools

COLUMBUS, OH — The Ohio House passed Senate Bill 89 this week. The legislation would dissolve the Academic Distress Commissions which have taken control of the East Cleveland City Schools. State Rep. Kent Smith, whose district includes East Cleveland, has long been an opponent of the distress commissions.

“Last night, I voted on the House floor in favor of an amendment that would grandfather in students who currently use school vouchers, including future school-aged siblings, move a school building performance-based system to an income-based system and restore local control to the three school districts that have been taken over by the state," Smith said. The other school districts which have been taken over by the state are the Lorain City Schools and Youngstown Schools.

Prior to state takeover, Smith argued, East Cleveland Schools were gradually improving. All of the district's elementary schools received a grade of A, B or C on their value-added/progress metrics. The district also saw marked improvement in 15 of 21 metrics monitored by the state.

These improvements came despite the unique disadvantages faced by East Cleveland students: the average household median income in the city is less than $20,000 (the state average is nearly $70,000), and more than a fourth of East Cleveland students are part of the Special Education program.

“Public education is the backbone of this nation’s future economy and our shared democracy. I believe that every Ohio child can change the world—removing our investment in them would jeopardize every Ohio community," Smith said.

For Senate Bill 89 to become law, the legislation will need to be passed by the Ohio Senate.