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SB 322

Dissolve academic distress comms; require student support teams

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Al Cutrona

Ohio bill replaces state-run Academic Distress Commissions with local Student Support Teams, shifting school improvement oversight from state intervention to community-based decision-making.

Referred to committee
#education #primaryandsecondaryeducation
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Bill Summary · SB 322

Legislative bill overview

SB 322 eliminates Ohio's Academic Distress Commissions (ADCs), which are state-appointed oversight bodies that manage struggling school districts, and replaces them with locally-controlled Student Support Teams. The bill shifts authority for addressing academic underperformance from state intervention to district-level collaborative teams involving school staff, families, and community members.

Why is this important

This change fundamentally alters how Ohio addresses failing schools—moving from top-down state management to bottom-up local problem-solving. For struggling districts, this means greater autonomy but also reduced state resources and oversight; for students, outcomes depend heavily on whether local teams have adequate funding and expertise to reverse poor performance.

Potential points of contention

  • State oversight vs. local control: ADCs provide direct state intervention in chronically failing districts; eliminating them may leave some communities without adequate external accountability or support capacity
  • Resource disparities: Wealthy districts may form more effective support teams than under-resourced districts, potentially widening achievement gaps rather than closing them
  • Implementation clarity: The bill's effectiveness depends on how Student Support Teams are structured, funded, and empowered—details that may require significant additional regulation

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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