Columbus / December 3, 2104
The Ohio House favorably passed Rep. Denise Driehaus’ (D-Cincinnati) bipartisan legislation, House Bill 460, Tuesday with a vote of 85 to 3. Based on Cincinnati’s CLCs, the model would allow any Ohio school to work with parents and community members to provide supplemental services for students such as on-site healthcare, dental care, tutoring, recreation and mental health services.
“I am thrilled this bipartisan bill passed today and is on its way to the Senate,” said Rep. Driehaus. “This was an important step in the process of allowing our schools to transform their buildings beyond the traditional place of education. Many other states have come to visit Cincinnati’s model and now all of Ohio will have the opportunity to be on the forefront of twenty-first century education.”
HB 460 brings families, residents, students, educators and business leaders together to review the strengths and needs of their individual communities to decide how best to support students and their families. Together, the group decides which services are important for children in the neighborhood. Public-private partnerships are a key element to the CLC model and allow them to be more self-sustaining than traditional community services, as the partners operate use their own dollars so that no additional education funding is necessary.
Core principles in forming a CLC commonly include fostering strong partnerships, sharing accountability for better results, setting high expectations for all, building on the community’s strength and embracing diversity while avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
HB 460 now goes to the Ohio Senate for referral and further consideration.