HB 205: Enact the Future Educators Support Act

As Introduced

136th General Assembly Regular Session 2025-2026

H. B. No. 205

Representatives Brennan, Jones

Cosponsors: Representatives White, E., Rader, Deeter, Piccolantonio, Williams, Sigrist, Daniels, Pizzulli, Isaacsohn, Miller, J., Rogers, Synenberg, Thomas, D., Manning, Denson, Mohamed, Baker, McNally, Somani, Upchurch, Click, Abrams, Robinson, Cockley, Hall, D.

To enact sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 1
3345.83, and 6301.113 of the Revised Code to 2
enact the Future Educators Support Act regarding 3
financial support for student teachers, teaching 4
as an in-demand job, and school district 5
staffing surveys. 6

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

Section 1. That sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 7
3345.83, and 6301.113 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as 8
follows: 9
Sec. 3301.24. (A) The department of education and 10
workforce shall develop and administer an annual online staffing 11
survey. The superintendent or superintendent's designee of each 12
local, exempted village, or city school district shall complete 13
the survey once per school year using staffing numbers as of the 14
first day of each school year. 15
(B) The department shall require the following data be 16
collected in each staffing survey: 17

H. B. No. 205 As Introduced

(1) The number of each of the following positions that are 18
vacant or filled by an individual who is not fully licensed for 19
the position: 20
(a) Teachers, categorized by required license and 21
endorsement area; 22
(b) School psychologists; 23
(c) Speech-language pathologists; 24
(d) Occupational therapists; 25
(e) School counselors; 26
(f) School social workers; 27
(g) School nurses; 28
(h) Other positions, as determined by the department. 29
(2) The number of teaching positions filled by long-term 30
substitutes, categorized by required license and endorsement 31
area; 32
(3) The number of teaching positions filled by retired 33
teachers who have renewed an expired license or returned to the 34
classroom under a permanent teaching certificate, categorized by 35
required license and endorsement area; 36
(4) The number of positions filled by teachers who hold an 37
alternative license that allows the individual to be employed as 38
a teacher while progressing toward obtaining full licensure, 39
categorized by required license and endorsement area; 40
(5) The number of positions specified in division (B)(1) 41
of this section that are held by employees that are new to the 42
positions; 43

H. B. No. 205 As Introduced

(6) Any other relevant data, as determined by the 44
department. 45
(C) The department of education and workforce shall 46
produce an annual report summarizing the department's findings 47
of each year's staffing surveys. The department shall submit the 48
report to the general assembly and department of higher 49
education for consideration in the oversight and development of 50
educator preparation programs. 51
(D) The department of education and workforce shall 52
publish the annual report and a summary of each staffing survey 53
on which the annual report is based on its web site. 54
Sec. 3301.82. (A) The department of education and 55
workforce may provide either of the following to an individual 56
enrolled in a teacher preparation program during the period in 57
which the individual is required to work in a school building as 58
a student teacher: 59
(1) A cost-of-living stipend. A student teacher may 60
receive the cost-of-living stipend authorized under this section 61
in addition to receiving payment from a school district or 62
school in accordance with section 3319.70 of the Revised Code. 63
(2) Test fee waivers or reimbursements based on financial 64
need. 65
(B) If the department chooses to implement this section, 66
it shall establish procedures to do so. 67
Sec. 3319.70. (A) As used in this section: 68
(1) "Public school district" means all of the following: 69
(a) A city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational 70
school district; 71

H. B. No. 205 As Introduced

(b) An educational service center; 72
(c) A community school established under Chapter 3314. of 73
the Revised Code; 74
(d) A STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the 75
Revised Code; 76
(e) A college-preparatory boarding school established 77
under Chapter 3328. of the Revised Code. 78
(2) "Student teacher" means an individual who teaches 79
students either independently or under supervision as part of a 80
teacher preparation program approved under section 3333.048 of 81
the Revised Code that the individual must complete as a 82
requirement to receive an educator license under this chapter. 83
(B) A public school district may do either of the 84
following: 85
(1) Pay a student teacher in the district a wage rate that 86
is not less than the wage rate calculated in accordance with 87
Ohio Constitution, Article II, Section 34a and section 4111.02 88
of the Revised Code; 89
(2) Offer a student teacher in the district health care 90
benefits on the same terms and conditions as health care 91
benefits provided to teachers in the district. 92
Sec. 3345.83. A state institution of higher education, as 93
defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, may waive all 94
or part of an individual's tuition for the academic period in 95
which the individual enrolled in a teacher preparation program 96
is required to work as a student teacher in a school building. 97
The chancellor of higher education shall establish 98
procedures for state institutions that choose to implement this 99

H. B. No. 205 As Introduced

section. 100

Sec. 6301.113. The department of job and family services 101
shall update the list of in-demand jobs required under section 102
6301.11 of the Revised Code to include teachers, notwithstanding 103
anything to the contrary in the methodology developed under that 104
section. 105
Section 2. This act shall be known as the Future Educators 106
Support Act. 107