EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — If passed, the newly introduced House Bill 387 would eliminate the 2015 law that enabled the state to take over East Cleveland, Youngstown and Lorain school districts.
The bill would dissolve the state's Academic Distress Commission, which considers takeovers of school districts that receive an F rating or less than two overall stars on its report card for three consecutive years.
Right now, only Youngstown and East Cleveland are currently under state control.
"The East Cleveland City School District is excited regarding the opportunity to return to local control under our elected Board of Education under the proposed legislation of House Bill 387," Dr. Henry Pettiegrew II, superintendent and CEO, said in a statement. "The academic distress commission label carries a stigma of undue scrutiny, despite that this legislation created unfunded and unsupported mandates. Nonetheless, our commitment to the students and families of the East Cleveland City School District has been unwavering through the Academic Distress Commission process. The dissolution of the Academic Distress Commission is a welcomed sign that our hard work and efforts these past school years has not been in vain. The District will continue in its efforts to support the “whole” needs of every child as we strive to become the model urban school district."
News 5 reported last July that Lorain City Schools regained its local control after nearly 10 years of state oversight.
"We are excited to get ready and down to business so we can focus on actually educating our kids," School Board Vice President Barbie Washington told News 5 at the time.
State Rep. Juanita Brent serves East Cleveland and is one of the bill’s primary sponsors.
"After eight years, those same school districts that have started are still a part of it and the state has not done anything better to help these schools do better," she said. "Enough is enough. If we can see eight years of it not being effective, imagine what we can do by giving the power back to the people."
House Bill 387 was introduced last week and has already been referred to an education committee.
"It's rough because people do not feel seen in the process," Rep. Brent said. "Our communities know what's best. We have to give the power back to the community representative."
Read the billhere.
