State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur | The Ohio House of Representatives
State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur | The Ohio House of Representatives
Representative Sarah Fowler Arthur has announced that House Bill 43, aimed at waiving certain instructional hour requirements for Ashtabula Lakeside High School, has passed the House Education Committee. The bill addresses the school's inability to meet minimum instructional hours after a roof collapse rendered the building unusable. It allows the Department of Education and Workforce to waive up to 24 of the required 1,001 hours for public schools in Ohio.
Fowler Arthur expressed gratitude towards Superintendent Newsome and Principal Wetherholt for their efforts during the crisis. “I’m grateful to Superintendent Newsome and Principal Wetherholt for their advocacy and quick actions to pivot the school district through the disaster response. With H.B. 43, high school seniors will be able to graduate on time and the school will remain eligible for full state funding during the upcoming school year,” she stated.
Principal Doug Wetherholt testified in support of the bill, highlighting his staff's dedication: “My staff worked tirelessly to prepare to welcome students back to the classroom in [various school buildings throughout the district so that they were] in an environment that was as closely replicated to what they had prior to their displacement.”
The bill now moves forward for consideration by the full House of Representatives.