As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. C. R. No. 16

2025-2026

Senator Brenner

Cosponsors: Senators Cirino, Roegner, Schaffer

A c o n c u r r e n t R E S O L U T I O N

To urge Congress to dismantle the United States Department of Education.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO (THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING):

WHEREAS, The United States Constitution establishes a federal system that reserves those powers not delegated to the federal government to the states and the people; and

WHEREAS, Education is not a power delegated to the federal government and has historically been governed by states and local communities accountable to families; and

WHEREAS, The creation of the United States Department of Education expanded federal involvement in education significantly, while academic achievement stagnated or declined; and

WHEREAS, National assessments and polling show troubling trends in student reading and math performance, as well as a lack of basic civic knowledge; and

WHEREAS, Decades of increased federal spending and regulation have not improved outcomes for students, but have imposed burdens on states and their schools; and

WHEREAS, Federal control has created administrative bloat and bureaucracy that diverts resources away from classrooms and students; and

WHEREAS, States are the drivers of innovation in education, leading effective education reforms that expand choice and improve outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Governors, state legislators, and local officials are directly accountable to parents and taxpayers for their decisions regarding education, providing clearer responsibility and responsiveness than unelected federal bureaucrats; and

WHEREAS, Prioritizing the needs of students and families requires placing decision-making authority with those closest to the classroom; and

WHEREAS, Secretary McMahon has initiated significant organizational restructuring by reducing the Department of Education's workforce without adverse effects on educational services; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, affirm our responsibility to lead on education in a manner consistent with the United States Constitution and the principles of federalism; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, support efforts to dismantle the United States Department of Education, returning authority over education back to the states; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, encourage shifting core responsibilities of the federal Department of Education to other agencies, in both state and federal governments, that are better suited to execute them; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, intend to seek every opportunity, in cooperation with other federal agencies, to regain fuller control of Ohio's K-12 schools; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, intend to collaborate with the Governor's office, the Department of Education and Workforce, and the Attorney General, in conjunction with the General Assembly, to establish a task force to create and publish a comprehensive plan to assume full responsibility for education programs currently administered by the United States Department of Education, including, but not limited to, Title I funds, special education, and civil rights; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, aspire that the comprehensive plan include:

(A) Statutory changes required to assume administrative control over federal education programs;

(B) Recommended waivers, transfers, or block grants to be requested from the federal government;

(C) Identification of federal education mandates that the State intends to decline to administer because the State has determined the mandates are not statutorily required; and

(D) One or more pieces of legislation suitable for immediate introduction; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, hope that the comprehensive plan rely, in part, on the inventory and review discussed below; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, urge the Department of Education and Workforce to conduct an inventory of all existing federal education programs and grants administered by the State, including the funding amounts, statutory authority, and reporting requirements, and to transmit the inventory to the General Assembly; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, urge the Attorney General to conduct a review of all state statutes and regulations that reference or incorporate federal education statutes or regulations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, intend to introduce one or more bills to implement the comprehensive plan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, encourage the Department of Education and Workforce to administratively implement recommendations of the comprehensive plan that do not require statutory changes, to the extent permitted by law; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, intend to cooperate with other states to pursue joint waiver requests and coordinated negotiations with the United States Department of Education to accelerate the prompt and proper return of education authority to the states; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Education, President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.