Governor John Kasich has signed the School Mandates Relief Act, estimated to save tax-payers and schools
districts millions of dollars over four years.
The lead sponsor, state Rep. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, said House Bill 30 provides more flexibility
for schools as the state wrestles with a difficult economy and an $8 billion budget deficit.
"This helps our local schools manage their budgets in this challenging time," Gardner sasid.

Kasich signed the bill Wednesday. It repeals new unfunded mandates regarding all-day kindergarten and
smaller class sizes. In addition, the bill ends the Ohio Department of Education’s power to penalize
school districts that do not comply with spending rules outlined in former Gov. Ted Strickland’s
evidence-based model.
Local school boards, however, can still decide whether to implement any of the goals of Strickland’s
plan, including smaller class sizes or all-day kindergarten.
Republicans have complained that the unfunded mandates outlined in Strickland’s evidence-based education
model, passed during the last legislative session, posed financial hardships on school districts –
especially now, when districts are trying to determine what affect the proposed budget bill will have on
their revenue stream. Wood County school officials were told to expect funding cuts as high as 20
percent of their general operating funds.
"The governor signed into law the School Mandates Relief Act, legislation I sponsored that will save
schools and taxpayers more than $600 million over the next four years. The people of Wood County can be
assured that I’ll continue this kind of effort to reduce the cost of government in effective ways,"
Gardner said in a statement released Wednesday.