On April 1, 2025, Greg R. Lawson from The Buckeye Institute presented his testimony to the Ohio Senate Education Committee regarding Senate Bill 127. The legislation aims to address consistent underperformance in Ohio's public schools through various policy measures.
Lawson stated, “Ohio has tolerated mediocre performance in its lowest-scoring public schools for far too long,” and emphasized that the bill uses a “data-driven benchmark for standardizing school closures and taking measurable actions to turn around failing schools.”
Addressing concerns about community disruption from potential school closures, Lawson argued, “trapping students in the status-quo cycle of underachieving schools is far more disruptive to students and their futures.”
According to Lawson, Senate Bill 127 intends to improve schools rather than merely close them. The bill allows underperforming districts to partner with high-performing districts or private entities with a history of academic and managerial success. Lawson noted, “the policies in Senate Bill 127 reassure families that underperforming schools are unacceptable, and poor performance will be corrected or held accountable.”
Senate Bill 127 defines "poor performing school" as those in the bottom five percent for performance and the lowest 10 percent in progress over three consecutive years. This provides a framework for potential school closures and seeks to prioritize student outcomes over bureaucratic inertia.
Lawson concluded his testimony by reaffirming that the policy prioritizes students and reassures families that poor performance will be rectified.