YOUNGSTOWN — Some of the nearly 200 people on a virtual town hall meeting Monday to explore ways to dismantle Ohio House Bill 70 were frustrated because few answers were forthcoming.

Gov. Mike DeWine was unable to attend the session that called for an end to academic distress commissions and school takeovers. Instead, a representative from DeWine’s office addressed several questions but was unable to provide firm answers regarding the governor’s position on the law, as well as a new school funding plan being considered in the General Assembly.

Nevertheless, several local elected officials and school board members were among those who spoke passionately against HB70, also known as the Youngstown Plan.

“We have a lost generation because of House Bill 70,” said state Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, who called the state report card “flawed,” and added he’s working to change it.

It’s also vital that parents, ministers, teachers and other stakeholders unify to overturn HB70 and return local control to districts, Rulli added.

Moderating the session was the Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church.

“It was passed in the dark of night with no community input,” said Scott Di Mauro, the Ohio Education Association president, about HB70, which was introduced in 2015 and gave a state-appointed CEO nearly complete managerial and financial control over schools with failing academic performances and allowed distress commissions to assume control of local districts.

The three districts under HB70’s control are Youngstown, Lorain and East Cleveland.

“The Columbus-knows-best approach has not worked,” said state Rep. Kent Smith, D-Euclid.

HB70 originally was designed to encourage wraparound community learning centers in districts with high poverty rates to bring in after-school programs, health clinics and parent-support efforts. A 66-page amendment was added, however, to establish a state takeover of the Youngstown City School District and others with lower test scores, the OEA’s website says.

In six years under HB70, the Youngstown schools have suffered significant financial loss and had a series of successful programs removed, with no discernible academic improvements. The law also has disenfranchised the community while failing the district’s children, parents, faculty and staff, said Ronald Shadd, school board president, who urged DeWine to support efforts to end state control of the district.

Other speakers included Darold Johnson of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, as well as one parent each from Youngstown, East Cleveland and Lorain, all of whom discussed various ways they say HB70 has had a detrimental effect on their districts.

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