H.B. 577 Summary

• Creates a School Transformation Board to oversee school district academic performance improvement, consisting of state education officials, legislative appointees, and three governor-appointed education experts.

• Places a moratorium on establishing new academic distress commissions from the effective date through December 31, 2023; commissions may resume being established January 1, 2024.

• Requires existing academic distress commissions to transition control back to district boards of education by June 30, 2020, with chief executive officers assisting districts to resume full operational control.

• Directs the School Transformation Board to review Ohio's state-level school improvement process and recommend improvements to the State Board of Education by December 31, 2020.

• Declares the act an emergency measure to revise intervention methods for low-performing school districts and schools, making it effective immediately upon passage.