COLUMBUS (AP) — A Republican-backed overhaul of Ohio’s public education system can continue operating even as a lawsuit claiming it violates the state constitution makes its way through the courts.
A Franklin County magistrate ruled Friday that stalling the conversion of the Ohio Department of Education to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would cause “confusion, unrest and chaos.”
A county judge signed off on the ruling later Friday afternoon.
The plaintiffs, including Ohio parents, are suing GOP Gov. Mike DeWine over the shift in educational oversight from a mostly citizen-elected school board to a director of his choosing.
“I am thrilled that the restraining order has been dissolved and we can focus on the important work of moving forward to help our kids,” DeWine said in a statement Friday.
He also announced that Jessica Voltolini, the former chief of staff of the previous state Education Department, will serve as the interim director of the new department while the search for a permanent director continues.