Editor’s note: The above video aired in April after the House passed its budget bill.
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Ohio could soon move to eliminate the 14 members of the State Board of Education, including all of its elected representatives, if the plan gets the approval of Gov. Mike DeWine.
The budget approved by lawmakers this week includes provisions to reduce the State Board of Education to five members who are appointed by the governor.
Three of the governor’s appointees and all 11 elected members would be eliminated from the board once their terms expire. Their positions would also be eliminated if a member vacates their office.
Two years ago, the legislature stripped the board of most of its powers in their budget. They transferred many of the board’s responsibilities to the new Department and Education and Workforce. The cabinet-level agency answers to the governor.
It’s estimated that the move will save roughly $50,000 annually for the state once the board falls to five members. They’re paid $32.02 per hour for carrying out their official duties. They also receive travel reimbursements.
In 2024, members received an average of about $3,500 in compensation, according to the Legislative Service Commission.
The board’s vice president, Teresa Fedor, a Toledo-area Democrat who used to serve in the legislature, previously told 13 Action News that she hoped the governor would ultimately veto the idea.
“He knows this is not right,” Fedor said. “This is his legacy. He should do the right thing. If the Senate does not remove that language, he must line-item veto that language or his legacy, in my opinion, is just tanked.”
DeWine has to sign the $60-billion budget bill by June 30.
Fedor said if Republicans think a 19-member board is too large, they should eliminate the positions appointed by the governor, “to ensure political patronage and partisanship doesn’t rule the day,” she said.
Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1953 to create the state board of education. Fedor believes actions to strip it of its duties are unconstitutional.
“It’s just another attack on direct democracy and local representation accountable to the people of Ohio regarding public education,” Fedor said. “This is outrageous. It cannot continue and I will fight until I’m no longer here on the planet.”
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-06-26 15:41:00
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