State Representative Pryor Joins State Representative Bubp in Working for JROTC
Rep. Pryor (D-Chillicothe) joined forces with Rep. Bubp (R- West Union) to ensure that Junior ROCT would be permitted as an elective class in the Ohio CORE curriculem. This legislation will be effective for Ohio students starting next school year. This bipartisan legislation was signed into law by Governor Strickland a few weeks ago at Westland High School in Galloway, Ohio. Below is a summary of the bill, if you have additional questions please feel free to contact Representative Pryor’s Columbus office at 614.644.7928 or district85@ohr.state.oh.us
· Adds Junior ROTC as a permitted elective within the Ohio Core curriculum.
· Permits school districts, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools to excuse students participating in Junior ROTC for at least two school years from high school physical education.
· Directs the Department of Education to reevaluate each community school that was ordered to close at the end of the 2009-2010 school year for poor academic performance to determine whether the school still meets the closure criteria when the report card ratings for its first two years of operation are excluded, and permits each community school that no longer meets the criteria to remain open after that school year.
· Permits a community school that is not sponsored by the school district in which the school is located to operate as a conversion school and, under certain conditions, to obtain a new sponsor, if the school (1) has been in its current facility for at least three years prior to the 2009-2010 school year, (2) is sponsored by a school district adjacent to the district in which the school is located, (3) emphasizes serving gifted students, and (4) has been rated continuous improvement or higher for the three years prior to the 2009-2010 school year.
· Extends by six months the deadline for certain school districts that have been allocated a share of federally “qualified” (interest-free) school construction bonds for their state-assisted classroom facilities projects to secure voter approval for their projects.
· Makes the performance of the Harmon Commission’s duties to designate certain classrooms as “creative learning environments” and to award grants for school districts and community schools with such classrooms contingent on available funds.
Filed in: Legislation, Veterans Issues