LORAIN, Ohio — For more than a decade, Lorain City School District has been under some form of state control. However, if the Ohio Senate's version of the two-year appropriations bill is passed, the district will be finally released from oversight.
This week, State Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) added an amendment to House Bill 33 calling for the Lorain City School District's academic distress commission (ADC) and academic improvement plan to be dissolved.
Lorain's ADC, a joint panel of local and state appointees, was first formed in April of 2013 as a result of the district receiving an overall grade of "F" on the Ohio School Report Cards for three straight years. In 2015, a controversial new state takeover law was enacted, known as House Bill 70, which gave the ADC the power to appoint a CEO to have operational, managerial and instructional control of the district.
Since HB 70 passed, Lorain, East Cleveland, and Youngstown have been placed under state control. In 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a split decision that House Bill 70 was constitutional, rejecting a lawsuit filed by the Youngstown City School District.
Lorain City Schools says it is "following a comprehensive plan to improve local education and that plan is working." They note that in the most recent Ohio report card, Lorain scored higher than 52 other school districts.
“It has been a long road to reach this point, a journey that could not have been possible without broad community and leadership support,” said current Lorain City Schools CEO and Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Graham. “Our focus is and has always been on providing excellent educational opportunities for our children and supporting our families. We will continue improving and are excited for our future.”
Manning's amendment needs to be approved by the Ohio House and Gov. Mike DeWine as part of the overall state budget bill that must be finalized by the end of this month.
Previous Reporting...
