House Concurs in Senate Amendments for Legislation Combating School Staffing Shortages

COLUMBUS –The Ohio House of Representatives last night concurred with Senate amendments on legislation focusing on alleviating the staffing shortages schools have suffered from since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Our goal with House Bill 554 was to not only attract more educators, but to give students better opportunities when it comes to their education,” said bill sponsor State Representative Adam Bird (R-New Richmond). “I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for their continued support in bettering Ohio’s education systems.”

To invite more teachers into the classroom, the bill would allow Ohio’s State Board of Education to issue temporary educator licenses to applicants with expired professional teacher’s certificates and professional educator licenses as long as the educator left the profession in good standing. 

During the committee process, the measure received overwhelming proponent testimony and no opponent testimony.

House Bill 554 now heads to the Governor to be signed.