Two new education bills have been introduced by Democrats in the Ohio House of Representatives. One would provide universal school lunches to all students who want it, and the other would raise base salaries for teachers to $50,000 a year. With Republican supermajorities controlling both the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate, the future of the proposed legislation is uncertain.
The bill, introduced by state Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) and state Rep. Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus), goes beyond the latest operating budget changes to “require public schools to provide meals and related services to students. “obligation to provide”.
The new bill, House Bill 408, states, “Each school district must provide meals to students who request them, regardless of whether the student has the money to pay for the meal or has borrowed money for a previous meal.” It has been.
The bill would also allow a student to be “incapacitated to pay for a meal because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has an obligation to pay for a meal previously provided,” or It prohibits school districts from requesting that meals be discarded because they identify or stigmatize the child. A meal, or someone who owes money for a meal. ”
In 2019, a 9-year-old Ohio student's hot lunch was taken away due to an unpaid balance of $9.75, a Uniontown family told NBC.
The bill comes after changes were made in the most recent state operating budget to provide free meals to students who qualify for reduced-price or free meals.
After the budget passed, advocates praised the improvements to eligibility but said more could be done to categorize children and reduce the visibility of those with food debt.
Nearly half of Ohio students will be eligible for reduced-price or free lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, up from 46.6% the year before, according to data from the Ohio Children's Defense Fund. Eligibility is based on household income, with children up to 185 percent of the federal poverty line eligible.
Brewer and Mohamed's bill would also require school districts to “communicate with the parent or guardian, not the student, regarding a student's meal debt.” However, this does not apply if the student inquires about the student's meal debt.
teacher salary
In another bill, state Rep. Joe Miller (D-Amherst) calls for raising teacher base salaries to $50,000 a year across the state.
This is an increase from the current base salary of $35,000 for teachers with a bachelor's degree. According to the House bill, the base salary for teachers with less than a bachelor's degree would be set at $43,250, starting at $51,900 for teachers with five years of training but without a master's degree, and $50,000 for teachers with a master's degree or higher. Starting at $4,750. Bill 411.
Average teacher salaries in Ohio have remained lower than the U.S. average since 2014, with Ohio salaries increasing by 11.2% from fiscal year 2012 to 2021, when U.S. salaries increased by 17.9%, according to an analysis by the Legislative Services Commission. .
A 2022 study by the Economic Policy Institute found that average weekly wages for teachers have remained “relatively flat” since 1996, with teachers in Ohio earning less than other college-educated workers. It was found to be more than 14% lower.
Under the latest House bill, pay will continue to be based on years of service, including up to five years of active military service.
Both bills have Democratic sponsors leading the way in the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly, especially given the historic lack of legislative action in this particular General Assembly. will be difficult.
Before public comment or a vote can take place, the bill must be assigned to a committee for consideration.
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