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Ohio lawmakers propose halting, reversing school 'takeovers'

School bus lot in Cincinnati
Posted at 12:50 PM, Mar 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-20 12:50:40-04

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some lawmakers propose reversing a law that shifted operational control of poor-performing Ohio school districts to state-appointed panels and unelected CEOs instead of locally elected boards.

Republican Rep. Don Jones, of Freeport, and Democratic Rep. Joe Miller, of Amherst say academic distress commissions already created for the Youngstown, Lorain and East Cleveland districts would be dissolved under their new proposal.

It goes further than another proposal that would leave those districts under state control but prevent more so-called "state takeovers" through such commissions.

The legislation enabling those panels was pushed through the Legislature in one day in 2015. Youngstown is challenging it in a case before the Ohio Supreme Court.

The state denies the district's claims that lawmakers violated the Ohio Constitution and a procedural rule in passing the law.