Rep. Jarrells to introduce bipartisan High School Education Recovery Act

Says legislation would give students who struggled during the pandemic a second chance at success

May 11, 2021

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) today announced he will be introducing emergency legislation with Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) that would allow any student currently working on or making progress towards a high school credit during the 2020-2021 school year to use the 2021-2022 school year as a supplemental year to retake or supplement courses the student already has taken.

“The reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered the educational landscape of learning, and this has caused a number of barriers for students. Remote learning is not conducive for all students, and that’s why it’s important we give students and families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic the flexibility to decide if a reset is best for them,” said Rep. Jarrells.

The 2020-2021 High School Education Recovery Act would:

Establish the Supplemental School Year Program to provide high school students enrolled in public and chartered nonpublic schools in the 2020-2021 school year the opportunity to retake or supplement the grades or courses they completed during that school year due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Require public and chartered nonpublic schools to replace course grades on students’ transcripts with the grades received for those courses that are retaken or supplemented through the program;
Require that, if a public or chartered nonpublic school is a member of an organization that regulates interscholastic athletics, the school petition that organization during the 2021-2022 school year for up to two additional semesters of eligibility to participate in interscholastic athletics for students participating in the program.

Members have until Friday, May 14 to sign onto this legislation.