CMSD Charter Office Newsletter

While it’s hard to believe that fall is here, we here in the CMSD Charter Office are excited for a strong 2025-26 school year.

This year, our newsletters will again focus primarily on professional development and legislative/policy updates.

In addition to our regular legislative update and event listings, we also have included in this issue materials to help stakeholders understand the roles and responsibilities of charter schools, sponsors, and operators, as well as the CMSD Board policy on Renewal, Nonrenewal, and Termination as we start a new year. It is a best practice for our office to remind our sponsored schools of these items annually.

We hope your school year is going well, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We are here to help!

The Ohio General Assembly reconciled the differences in the two chambers’ vision and funding for the two-year period that began July 1, passing the legislation (H.B. 96) in late June. The $90.5 billion dollar budget funds a multitude of state programs and includes many policy provisions.

School funding was among the most debated issues throughout the process. About $8.46 billion was allocated to Foundation Funding supporting traditional public schools, public charter (community) schools, and private school vouchers, in fiscal year 2026 and about $8.73 billion in fiscal year 2027.

Highlights of the legislation of particular interest to charter school and other K-12 stakeholders include:

Absence intervention and truancy:

• Defines “chronically absent” as missing at least 10% of the minimum number of hours required in the school year; and,
• Removes a requirement that districts/schools prohibit the grade level promotion of a student who has been chronically absent.

Artificial intelligence policies:

• Requires the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) to adopt a model policy by December 31, 2025, to address the appropriate use of AI by students and staff for educational purposes; and,
• Requires districts/schools to adopt a policy on the use of AI by July 1, 2026. Permits districts/schools to adopt the model policy developed by DEW.

Cell phone use by students:

• Requires districts/schools to adopt a policy by January 1, 2026, prohibiting the use of cell phones by students during the instructional day, except for student learning or to monitor a health concern (with written statement from the student’s physician requiring such use);
• Requires public school administrators to include in comprehensive emergency management plans a protocol that addresses student use of cell phones during an active threat or emergency and suspends the bill’s cell phone prohibition during an active threat or emergency under the building’s comprehensive emergency management plan; and,
• Eliminates the requirement for DEW to develop a model policy for student cell phone use.

Community school contracts and comprehensive plans:

• Eliminates the requirement for each community school to submit a comprehensive plan to its sponsor and, instead, requires the contract between each community school’s sponsor and governing authority to include the comprehensive plan’s provisions.

Community school Quality designation:

• Significantly expands the criteria schools must meet to be designated as a community school of quality (providing more paths to achieving the designation)
• Community school transportation consortium:
• Permits the governing authorities of two or more community schools to enter into an agreement to establish a consortium to provide or arrange transportation to and from school for students enrolled in participating schools; and,
• Requires DEW to calculate and make payments to a consortium as if it were a community school.

Funding:

• The Fair School Funding Plan (aka Cupp-Patterson) remains in place using FY 2024 statewide average base cost per pupil in FY 2026 and FY 2027;
• Codifies the equity supplement that pays site-based community schools but decreases per pupil funding to $500 in FY 2026 and $400 in FY 2027;
• Provides a base funding supplement equal to a school’s enrolled ADM for the fiscal year times $27 in FY 2026 and $40 in FY 2027;
• Requires DEW for FY 2026 and FY 2027 to calculate an existing site-based community school’s disadvantaged pupil impact aid (DPIA) by using a weighted count of economically disadvantaged students equal to the sum of the economically disadvantaged ADM reported for the school for FY 2025 multiplied by 75% for FY 2026 and 65% for FY 2027, and the directly certified economically disadvantaged ADM for the fiscal year multiplied by 25% for FY 2026 and 35% for FY 2027;
• Establishes a separate threshold special education cost pool for community and STEM schools to partially reimburse costs for special education that exceed $27,375 for students in special ed categories 2-5 and $32,850 for students in special ed category 6;
• Codifies the Quality Community and Independent School Support program which requires DEW to pay schools up to $3,000 per fiscal year for each student identified as economically disadvantaged and up to $2,250 in each fiscal year for other students; and,
• Codifies the provision of law requiring DEW to annually pay $1,000 per enrolled student for brick-and-mortar community schools’ facilities.

Public release of state test questions:

• Eliminates the requirement that a minimum percentage of state assessment questions be made a public record and, instead, requires DEW to determine which questions are made a public record, if any.

Science of Reading professional development:

• Requires DEW to maintain an introductory training course on the Science of Reading for licensed educators and develop a competency-based training course to update and reinforce educator’s skills in the Science of Reading; and,
• Requires each public school teacher, administrator, school psychologist or speech-language psychologist to complete training in the Science of Reading every 5 years.

State Board of Education

• Modifies the make-up of the State Board – transitioning from 11 elected and 6 appointed members, to 5 members appointed by the governor.

State Teachers Retirement System (STRS)

• Modifies the make-up of the board, transitioning from 11 elected members to 3. Additional members will be appointed by: a designee of the chancellor of higher education; two by the state treasurer; and four investment experts by the governor, House speaker, Senate president, and jointly by the speaker and president.

Youth suicide and prevention and child sexual abuse educator in-service training:

• Eliminates the option for districts and schools to adopt or adapt curriculum developed by DEW on youth suicide awareness and prevention for use in delivering in-service educator training on those topics, thus requiring districts/schools to develop their own curriculum;
• Eliminates the option for a school employee to satisfy youth suicide awareness in-service training through self-review of suitable suicide prevention materials approved by the governing authority; and,
• Eliminates the requirement that child sexual abuse in-service training for educators be provided by law enforcement officers or prosecutors and instead requires a district board to develop its own curriculum in consultation with public or private agencies.

Governor Mike DeWine signed H.B. 96 into state law on June 30, with some provisions (primarily funding) becoming effective immediately and others (primarily policy) becoming effective in 90 days.

Early Childhood - MTSS/Emergent Literacy: Empowering Early Learners Through MTSS

Friday, October 17, 2025

This workshop offers an engaging and hands-on professional development session on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in Early Childhood Literacy. This workshop will equip educators with practical strategies to support young learners at all levels through data-driven instruction, targeted interventions, and intentional teaching practices.

Location: ESCNEO [6393 Oak Tree Blvd, Independence OH 44131]

Program Time: 8:30 AM and ending at 10:30 AM

Program Cost: $25.00

Make Check or PO Payable to: ESC-NEO

Registration Deadline: 10/16/2025

To Register: Click here to register online.

Math Content Skills and Performance Assessments Workshop

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Performance assessments are terrific tools to gather evidence of students’ ability to use math practices and to apply math in real works contexts. In this workshop, learn about short constructed responses that may take one class period as well as on-demand performance assessments that can be used as formative or summative assessments, for homework, group work, quizzes, or as part of a unit test.

In this workshop, educators will explore:

-Purpose and Use of Performance Assessments

-Standards for Mathematical Practice

-Understand Depth of Knowledge

-Performance Assessments to Support Applications of Skills

-Assessment Scoring

Location: ESCNEO [6393 Oak Tree Blvd, Independence OH 44131]

Program Time: 8:30 AM and ending at 3:00 PM

Program Cost: $50.00

Make Check or PO Payable to: ESC-NEO

Registration Deadline: 10/21/2025

To Register: Click here to register online.

Explicit Writing Instruction - Lunch and Learn

Monday, October 13 and Monday, October 27, 2025

Join us in exploring The Writing Revolution 2.0 — a proven method for strengthening student writing across all grade levels and content areas. Also known as The Hochman Method, this is not a separate curriculum but rather an approach designed to be adapted to and embedded in the content being taught in across subjects and grades. All teachers are welcome, no matter what you teach or how comfortable you are with The Writing Revolution. Participants can expect to walk away with strategies that can be implemented right away. We invite you to join for the whole series regardless of your experience level.

Location: Virtual

To Register: Click here to register online

Charter school sponsors, boards, and operators share a common commitment to the students they serve. As is true in most relationships, success depends on a clear understanding of each stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities, which are defined in state law.

Among the key responsibilities of sponsors is establishing clear, measurable goals and expectations, which are outlined in contracts between sponsors and charter school boards. Sponsors are also tasked with providing ongoing school oversight and monitoring of academic, fiscal, and operational performance, as well as providing technical assistance.

School governing boards work with sponsors to establish goals and expectations as outlined in their contracts.

They are tasked with overseeing school operations to ensure compliance with the contract and also with state and federal laws and administrative rules. Boards play a vital role in establishing and ensuring compliance with various policies that inform school operations, and in hiring, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of operators.

School operators—individuals, not-for-profit or for-profit entities—are responsible for managing day-to-day school operations. They are responsible for the development and implementation of plans, as well as board-approved policies, that ensure statutory and contractual compliance in all aspects of school operations, from human resources, educational curriculum and record-keeping to student enrollment, testing, and discipline.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (D.E.W.) also plays an important role with a focus on sponsor oversight—they assess all aspects of sponsor performance (captured regularly in a sponsor evaluation) and are charged with granting, renewing, and revoking sponsorship authority. D.E.W. also must provide technical assistance and prepare an annual report on Ohio’s charter schools for key policymakers.

In addition to sponsor oversight, D.E.W. also has a division that serves as a sponsor for some charter schools.

School Pulse Survey

A National Center for Education Statistics’ School Pulse Panel (SPP) survey reveals that 80 percent of K-12 public schools see stunted behavioral and socio-emotional development in students, due primarily to the COVID pandemic.

The School Pulse Panel surveys K-12 public schools monthly, focusing on high-priority, education-related topics with relevance to a variety of stakeholders including federal and state departments of education.

In addition to the pandemic, other contributing factors may include an increase in young people’s mental health challenges and screen time.

Student Nutrition

Foodbanks face a unique challenge supporting economically disadvantaged families due to rising prices as state and federal funding have decreased.

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks reports that the state biennial budget bill (H.B. 96) decreased funding from $32 million per year for its state food purchase program to about $24.5 million, as the federal budget recently passed by Congress shifts much of the financial burden for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to the states.

The bill delays some of the funding cuts until October 2027, but states must cover a portion of the federal food aid effective in October 2026.

Foodbanks fear that more families will need assistance as those who are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits will likely turn to them for assistance.

School breakfasts and lunches will be increasingly important in charter schools which generally serve economically disadvantaged students.

U.S. News Best High Schools list was recently released revealing that the top two in the nation are charters – for the second year in a row.

“These rankings are proof of what we see every day: charter schools are changing what’s possible in public education,” said National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ President/CEO Starless Coleman.

AI In Schools

Artificial intelligence (AI) in schools was a priority issue addressed at a recent AI summit hosted by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

According to Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Chief Integration Officer Dr. Chris Wollard, there is significant variation among districts and schools -- some reluctant to embrace AI and others eager to do so.

Senate Education Committee Chair Andy Brenner (R-Delaware) said he believes Ohio should be “at the forefront” of integrating AI into education, likening a ban on AI in the classroom to banning calculators in math class.

“If you’re using it the right way, I think it actually could enhance student experience and learning, not the other way around,” Senator Brenner said. “Yes, you need to have checks and balances to ensure that AI is not substituting (for) learning.”

A report recently released by researchers at The Ohio State University suggests that educational media can be beneficial to students. Nearly 350 central Ohio caregivers believe that the use of educational media – apps, games and videos -- encourages students to read and reduces screen time.

“We think it’s really important to understand because there is a lot of evidence that children can learn from high-quality educational media, and that using educational media can be more supportive of development and learning than using high levels of entertainment content,” said Rebecca Dore, the lead author and director of research at OSU’s Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy.

Public Records and Open Meetings Trainings

In response to a request by State Auditor Keith Fabor, Attorney General Dave Yost issued an opinion on training requirements for charter schools, determining that the state auditor has the authority to “set a reasonable standard” for training to ensure that charters know how to comply with public records and open meetings laws.

“The auditor of state could, conceivably, specify the minimum qualifications of instructors or amount of training that would be sufficient to ensure community school officials and personnel are able to comply with open meeting and public record laws,” the AG wrote. “The content and length of such training certified by the attorney general, or some portions thereof, might serve as a model.”

RENEWAL, NONRENEWAL, AND TERMINATION OF COMMUNITY SCHOOL SPONSORSHIP CONTRACTS

Nonrenewal and Termination of Community School Sponsorship Contracts:

The Board may choose not to renew a community school sponsorship contract at its expiration or may choose to terminate a contract prior to its expiration for any of the following reasons:

1. Failure to meet student performance requirements stated in the contract;

2. Failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management;

3. Violation of any provision of the contract or applicable state or federal law; or

4. Other good cause.

The Board may terminate a community school’s contract during the contract term when there is clear evidence of some or all of following:

1. Extreme underperformance;

2. An egregious violation of law;

3. Violation of the public trust that imperils students’ health and well-being or public funds; or

4. Unfaithfulness to the terms of the contract.

In addition, the Board may choose to terminate a contract prior to its expiration if the Board has suspended the operation of the contract under state law.

The Board shall base any decision not to renew a community school contract on thorough analysis of a comprehensive body of objective evidence defined by the Performance Framework in the contract. Such evidence shall include at least all of the following:

1. Multiple years of student achievement and multiple measures of student achievement;

2. Financial audits;

3. Site visit reports and/or other compliance reports; and

4. Status reports on corrective action plans or other required interventions, if necessary.

Notification Timeline: In the event of a decision not to renew or to terminate a Community School Sponsorship Contract, the Board shall notify the school of the proposed action in writing no later than January 15 in the year in which the Board intends to terminate or take actions not to renew the contract. The notice shall include the reasons for the proposed action in detail, the effective date of the termination or nonrenewal, and a statement that the school may, within 14 days of receiving the notice, request an informal hearing before the Board of Education. Such request must be in writing. The informal hearing shall be held within 14 days of the receipt of a request for the hearing. No later than 14 days after the informal hearing, the Board shall issue a written decision either affirming or rescinding the decision to terminate or not renew the contract.

Closing Procedures: In the event of closing any community school sponsored by the District, the District shall follow closure procedures maintained by the District’s Charter School Office. These procedures shall conform to the most recent guidance from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) on community school closing procedures. The District shall oversee and work with the school’s governing authority and leadership in carrying out a detailed Closure Protocol as set forth in ODE guidance, which among other things shall ensure:

1. Timely notification to parents and assistance in finding new placements;

2. Orderly transition of students records to home school districts;

3. Disposition of school funds, property, and assets in accordance with law; and

4. Submission to ODE of required closing assurances.

The District shall have the capacity and commitment to carry out a closure to the extent possible if the school’s governing authority fails to fulfill its own responsibilities under the Closure Protocol.

Parents and students shall have ample time and information to make informed choices for the coming school year when a school’s contract is non-renewed. Children attending a District-sponsored community school that is suspended or closes for any reason shall be admitted to District schools the children are entitled to attend under state law, and admission deadlines shall be waived for such students in accordance with state law.

Any community school whose contract is terminated or not renewed shall close permanently at the end of the current school year or on a date specified in the notification of termination or nonrenewal. In the event that a closure is necessary prior to the end of the current school year, the District shall implement such provisions of the Closure Protocol on an expedited basis, and shall take such additional measures, as may be necessary to facilitate the orderly mid-year transitions of students to new schools and to secure student records and public assets.

Revised Notification Timeline: In the event of a decision not to renew a community school sponsorship contract, the Board shall notify the school of the proposed action in writing no later than January 15 in the year in which the Board intends not to renew the contract. In the event of a decision to terminate a community school sponsorship contract, the Board shall notify the school of the proposed action in writing no later than January 15 in the year in which the Board intends terminate the contract unless exigent circumstances at the community school require that a decision on termination be made after that date and be effective by the end of that school year.