As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 205

2025-2026

To enact sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 3345.83, and 6301.113 of the Revised Code to enact the Future Educators Support Act regarding financial support for student teachers, teaching as an in-demand job, and school district staffing surveys.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 3345.83, and 6301.113 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3301.24. (A) The department of education and workforce shall develop and administer an annual online staffing survey. The superintendent or superintendent's designee of each local, exempted village, or city school district shall complete the survey once per school year using staffing numbers as of the first day of each school year.

(B) The department shall require the following data be collected in each staffing survey:

(1) The number of each of the following positions that are vacant or filled by an individual who is not fully licensed for the position:

(a) Teachers, categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(b) School psychologists;

(d) Occupational therapists;

(e) School counselors;

(f) School social workers;

(g) School nurses;

(h) Other positions, as determined by the department.

(2) The number of teaching positions filled by long-term substitutes, categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(3) The number of teaching positions filled by retired teachers who have renewed an expired license or returned to the classroom under a permanent teaching certificate, categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(4) The number of positions filled by teachers who hold an alternative license that allows the individual to be employed as a teacher while progressing toward obtaining full licensure, categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(5) The number of positions specified in division (B)(1) of this section that are held by employees that are new to the positions;

(6) Any other relevant data, as determined by the department.

(C) The department of education and workforce shall produce an annual report summarizing the department's findings of each year's staffing surveys. The department shall submit the report to the general assembly and department of higher education for consideration in the oversight and development of educator preparation programs.

(D) The department of education and workforce shall publish the annual report and a summary of each staffing survey on which the annual report is based on its web site.

Sec. 3301.82. (A) The department of education and workforce may provide either of the following to an individual enrolled in a teacher preparation program during the period in which the individual is required to work in a school building as a student teacher:

(1) A cost-of-living stipend. A student teacher may receive the cost-of-living stipend authorized under this section in addition to receiving payment from a school district or school in accordance with section 3319.70 of the Revised Code.

(2) Test fee waivers or reimbursements based on financial need.

(B) If the department chooses to implement this section, it shall establish procedures to do so.

Sec. 3319.70. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Public school district" means all of the following:

(a) A city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district;

(b) An educational service center;

(d) A STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code;

(e) A college-preparatory boarding school established under Chapter 3328. of the Revised Code.

(2) "Student teacher" means an individual who teaches students either independently or under supervision as part of a teacher preparation program approved under section 3333.048 of the Revised Code that the individual must complete as a requirement to receive an educator license under this chapter.

(B) A public school district may do either of the following:

(1) Pay a student teacher in the district a wage rate that is not less than the wage rate calculated in accordance with Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 34a and section 4111.02 of the Revised Code;

(2) Offer a student teacher in the district health care benefits on the same terms and conditions as health care benefits provided to teachers in the district.

Sec. 3345.83. A state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, may waive all or part of an individual's tuition for the academic period in which the individual enrolled in a teacher preparation program is required to work as a student teacher in a school building.

The chancellor of higher education shall establish procedures for state institutions that choose to implement this section.

Sec. 6301.113. The department of job and family services shall update the list of in-demand jobs required under section 6301.11 of the Revised Code to include teachers, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the methodology developed under that section.

Section 2. This act shall be known as the Future Educators Support Act.