Devin Babcock is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
The ongoing 2025 legislative session in Ohio marked a strong step forward for student-centered policy, with meaningful investments in early literacy and math as well as college and career readiness.
Under the leadership of House Speaker Matt Huffman and Senate President Rob McColley, Ohio lawmakers came together to pass a student-focused budget that protects educational opportunity and strengthens academic outcomes for students across the Buckeye State.
Here are the highlights from this year’s session.
Early literacy remained a top priority for Ohio leaders, with major investments grounded in the science of reading.
The biennial budget (HB 96), championed by Rep. Brian Stewart, includes $12 million each fiscal year for literacy coaches who will support schools with the lowest English language arts proficiency rates. These coaches must be trained in the science of reading and evidence-based reading strategies that will help strengthen teaching, classroom supports and intervention efforts statewide.
In addition, HB 96 requires universal reading screeners in grades K–3 and also calls for the development of a list of state-approved math screeners for the early grades. Early identification followed by intensive support for students struggling in reading or math can make all the difference to their long-term academic success.
To support high-achieving students, HB 96 also includes an automatic math course enrollment provision, ensuring students who demonstrate readiness are guaranteed access to advanced coursework whenever available.
These important math and early literacy provisions will help eliminate barriers to success, provide interventions where they are most needed and ensure Ohio’s 475,000 early grade students are both challenged and supported as they progress in core subjects.
One of the most significant victories this session was the legislature’s decision to maintain universal eligibility for Ohio’s “EdChoice” school voucher program. Expanded in 2023, the program uses a tiered funding model that allows more than one million students to remain eligible.
This funding commitment, nearly $2.5 billion over the biennium, reflects the state’s strong dedication to empowering families with school choice and expanding access to educational opportunities that best fit each child’s needs.
Recognizing that Ohio’s charter schools are having to divert significant funding intended for instruction to pay for even modest facilities improvements, Gov. Mike DeWine proposed a meaningful increase in funding to $1,500 per student, which unfortunately did not make it into the final budget. The legislature maintained $1,000 per-student in facilities funding to support the state’s more than 300 charter schools and their 115,000 students.
While the legislature maintained extra operating funding for high-quality charter schools, it weakened associated performance criteria, which will spread limited funds across more schools, potentially diluting resources for top-performing charters.
These outcomes underscore the need to continue building awareness among Ohio’s policymakers for the significant operating and facility funding gaps still facing the state’s public charter schools, which undermine school choice and support for tens of thousands of students across the state.
Ohio lawmakers took several key steps to strengthen the bridge between K–12 education and postsecondary success.
HB 96 allocates $5 million annually for career awareness and exploration, helping students understand their options and prepare for future success.
The budget also improves access to career and technical education (CTE) by requiring middle schools to offer CTE courses and mandating that students in qualifying courses be given the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials.
A new direct admissions pilot program will offer automatic college admission to Ohio students who meet certain performance benchmarks, removing bureaucratic barriers and encouraging college enrollment for students who are prepared.
These reforms give students agency and better align Ohio’s education system with workforce needs.
Recognizing the impact of digital distractions on classroom learning, Ohio lawmakers strengthened its distraction-free schools policy through HB 96. Starting in January 2026, all instructional time in public schools will be device-free, bell-to-bell, helping students stay engaged and focused.
This statewide policy, expected to impact 1.4 million students, places Ohio among a growing number of states prioritizing focused, intentional and personal device-free learning environments.
Ohio’s ongoing 2025 legislative session has delivered a set of reforms centered on student learning, education choice and long-term opportunity. From protecting universal educational choice to deepening investments in early literacy, math and college readiness, lawmakers laid important groundwork for future progress.
As we look ahead, ExcelinEd in Action is proud to continue working alongside Ohio’s leaders and education champions to advance bold, student-first policies that close learning gaps, strengthen pathways to college and career, empower families and prepare every student for success.
