Upcoming Changes to the Ohio Department of Education

7/24/2023

House Bill 33 of the 135th General Assembly included several legislative changes impacting the Ohio Department of Education and State Board of Education. During the first week in October, the Department of Education will be renamed the Department of Education and Workforce and will become a cabinet-level agency reporting to the Governor of Ohio. Further, the legislation created a new agency, the Department of Children and Youth, to provide services more efficiently to children and their families in the areas of prevention, early education and support.
 
The current powers and duties of the State Board of Education will be divided between the State Board of Education and Department of Education and Workforce. But we want to assure you the members of the State Board and Department staff remain committed to student success and will continue to be available to support students, families, educators, schools and districts.
 
More detailed information about the transitions and timelines is available below.
 

State Board of Education

The State Board of Education will retain the following duties:

• Hire state superintendent of public instruction to serve as the executive officer of the State Board;
• Adopt requirements for educator licensure; 
• Process and issue educator licenses; 
• Investigate and resolve educator misconduct complaints; 
• Evaluate background checks, evaluate eligibility for licensure and participate in the retained applicant fingerprint database program;  
• Determine school district territory transfer disputes; 
• Administer the teacher and school counselor evaluation systems; 
• Oversee the Ohio Teacher of the Year program; and 
• Interface with, and provide staff support to, the Educator Standards Board. 

The tentative process and timeline for hiring a permanent state superintendent of public instruction is posted on the State Board of Education's webpage. 
 

Department of Education and Workforce

Except for the duties and powers retained by the State Board, the Department of Education and Workforce will be responsible for primary, secondary, special and career-technical education in Ohio. The Department of Education and Workforce will be led by a director who is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Department of Education and Workforce will consist of the Division of Primary and Secondary Education and Division of Career-Technical Education. The director will oversee the Department of Education and Workforce and appoint deputy directors to lead the two divisions with the advice and consent of the Senate.
 
The restructuring of the Department is a great opportunity to expand its focus on student success by prioritizing workforce readiness while still advancing its Future Forward Ohio initiatives to help students recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

Transition Planning and Timelines

The State Board of Education and Department of Education leadership are in the process of developing a comprehensive transition plan to prepare for a seamless transfer of staff, assets, equipment, data and materials. Most of the transition will occur by first week in October. However, the legislation provides the State Board and Department of Education and Workforce an additional 90 days to complete the transfer of powers. State Board members and leadership of the Department of Education and Workforce will work together during these additional 90 days to implement any remaining portions of the transition plan.
 
Also, during this transition time, it is anticipated the director and deputy directors of the Department of Education and Workforce will be appointed and confirmed and a new superintendent of public instruction will be hired.
 

Department of Children and Youth  

The Department of Children and Youth was created on July 1, 2023. This new agency will transfer some duties, functions, programs and staff related to children and youth from the departments of Education and Workforce, Job and Family Services, Health, Developmental Disabilities, Medicaid, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Development. It is anticipated the programs and staff related to early learning and preschool special education currently within the Department of Education will be transferring to the Department of Children and Youth.  
 
A cross-agency transition team for the Department of Children and Youth is developing a detailed organizational plan to implement the transfer of identified duties by Jan. 1, 2025, with it likely that duties and staff from the different agencies will be transferred in phases. The Department of Children and Youth will be led by a director appointed by Governor DeWine.  

More Information

More details and updates on the transitions will be provided in the coming weeks and months. Administrators and educators should continue to contact relevant program area staff as needed during the transition. Please direct other questions to contact.center@education.ohio.gov or 877-644-6338.