Guarding Kids and Cutting Recess: Ohio’s New Focus

Ohio’s newest governor took the stage to talk mostly about kids. He called for new rules on technology and said schools should use phonics, a reading method that focuses on sounds. The speech was long—over an hour—but he barely mentioned the big worries Ohio people care about, like taxes or jobs. Earlier in his term, he had pushed for higher gas tax and water‑cleaning programs that now seem less urgent. He also warned that removing property taxes could hurt the state’s ability to pay for schools and airports. If those taxes vanished, local governments might face lawsuits and higher borrowing costs. This shows how one policy can ripple through many parts of life.Ohio schools will get a new attendance dashboard on April 15, according to the governor. The goal is to fix chronic absenteeism, which currently affects about one in four students. He also said schools should double recess time for kids in grades K‑8, arguing that outdoor play helps students learn social skills and stay focused. Other news from the state includes a new superintendent for the Ohio State Board of Education, a lawsuit against an animal rescue charity that allegedly misused donations, and a visit by Vice President JD Vance to honor a fallen service member. Meanwhile, lawmakers are fighting over how Ohio should work with federal immigration laws.