COLUMBUS, Ohio - Republican Ohio State Senator Al Cutrona has introduced legislation that would dissolve academic distress commissions in Ohio.

If passed, Senate Bill 322 would dissolve academic distress commissions and instead create student support teams for low-performing schools.

This would affect the Youngstown City School District (YCSD), which has been overseen by an academic distress commission since 2010.

"Handicapping under-performing schools from being able to overcome their difficulties is not in the best interest of Ohio students. Dissolving academic distress commissions allows Youngstown City Schools and others like them the freedom to make their own decisions to improve their schools," Cutrona said in a press release.

The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee for further hearings.

This is not the first time lawmakers in Ohio tried to eliminate academic distress commissions in the state.

In 2023, Democrating State Representatives Lauren McNally and Juanita Brent introduced legislation to eliminate these commissions in the wake of a strike among members of the Youngstown Education Association (YEA).

McNally's legislation is currently in the Ohio House Committee, according to the Ohio Legislature's website. 

21 News has reached out to YCSD for comment on this legislation and we are waiting to hear back.