Ohio Mandates Free Tutoring for Students Building Math Skills Without Providing Funding

Last updated: January 1, 2026

If you’ve watched your child work through math homework with growing frustration, you understand the urgent need for better support. You’ve probably wondered why schools can’t provide the intensive help your child needs to build confidence with numbers. You’re not alone in that frustration—and now Ohio legislators are responding, though the solution comes with a significant catch that may leave parents doing what they’ve always done: filling in the gaps themselves.

TL;DR

Ohio Senate Bill 19 passed unanimously, requiring free evidence-based academic interventions for students scoring at limited proficiency levels in math and English.
Schools where fewer than 52% of third graders are proficient in math must develop improvement plans including high-dosage tutoring at least three days weekly.
Research shows this intensive tutoring approach produces significant learning gains, equivalent to three to fifteen additional months of academic progress.
Education leaders express concern that the bill provides no additional funding, creating an unfunded mandate for already-stretched school districts.
The bill moves to the Ohio House for hearings in early 2026, with implementation set for the 2026-2027 school year.

Ohio Senate Passes Academic Intervention Bill

The Ohio Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 19 on November 19, 2025, requiring schools to provide free, evidence-based interventions for students who score at the “limited” level on state math and English assessments. Senator Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) introduced the legislation, which now moves to the Ohio House for consideration in early 2026.

Under the bill, schools where 51% or fewer third graders achieve math proficiency must develop comprehensive mathematics achievement improvement plans. Individual students who qualify for intervention services must receive personalized improvement and monitoring plans within 60 days of receiving their assessment results. These plans must include high-dosage tutoring opportunities at least three days per week, supplementing rather than replacing regular classroom instruction.

The requirements would take effect for the 2026-2027 school year, giving schools time to prepare their intervention strategies. The Department of Education and Workforce must also publish a list of high-quality, standards-aligned math instructional materials by April 2026.

Ohio just mandated intensive math tutoring for one-third of students. The catch? Schools get zero extra funding. What that means for your family. Tweet Now Follow Learning Success

Research Supports Intensive Tutoring Approach

The bill’s emphasis on high-dosage tutoring aligns with substantial research showing this approach is one of the most effective ways to help students develop math skills. A review of nearly 200 studies found that high-dosage tutoring—delivered more than three days per week or at least 50 hours over 36 weeks—produces significant gains in both math and reading. Research from the University of Chicago Education Lab found that high-dosage tutoring can move an average student from the 50th percentile to the 66th percentile, representing three to fifteen additional months of learning.

The key to effectiveness appears to be consistency and integration into the school day. Students working with tutors in small groups of three to four, meeting regularly during school hours, show the largest improvements. This aligns with what neuroscience tells us about how children build foundational math skills—through repeated, structured practice that strengthens neural pathways over time. When children receive this kind of targeted support, their brains can develop the number sense and mathematical reasoning that form the foundation for all future math learning.

Author Quote "

Our concern with this bill however, is that the actual implementation will be incredibly costly, in time and in dollars, at a time when there is a lot of uncertainty about school district funding, at the state and federal levels – Melissa Cropper, President, Ohio Federation of Teachers

Unfunded Mandate Raises Implementation Concerns

Despite the bill’s unanimous Senate passage, education leaders express serious concerns about implementation. The legislation does not provide additional funding to schools or to the Department of Education and Workforce, which must conduct audits and develop professional development courses for math teachers. Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper testified that while her organization supports the bill’s intent, the actual implementation will be “incredibly costly, in time and in dollars, at a time when there is a lot of uncertainty about school district funding.”

Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing acknowledged positives in the bill, including flexibility for schools to choose intervention approaches, but noted that “finding the resources to comply may be difficult.” This concern resonates with parents who have learned that even well-intentioned policies don’t always translate into meaningful support for their children. When schools lack resources, families often find themselves becoming their child’s primary advocate and instructor—a role that research on parent advocacy shows can be remarkably powerful when parents are equipped with the right tools and understanding.

Key Takeaways:

Free tutoring mandate advances: Ohio SB 19 unanimously passed the Senate, requiring schools to provide evidence-based interventions including high-dosage tutoring at least three days per week for students developing math and reading skills.

Research supports intensive approach: Studies show high-dosage tutoring can add three to fifteen months of learning growth, moving students from the 50th to 66th percentile when delivered consistently during school hours.

Funding concerns remain unaddressed: Education leaders warn implementation costs will be significant while the bill provides no additional state funding, leaving schools to find resources independently.

What This Means for Ohio Families

The bill now awaits House committee hearings, expected in late January or February 2026. If passed, Ohio would join a growing movement to address post-pandemic learning gaps through intensive tutoring. Data shows nearly one-third of Ohio students scored at limited proficiency in math and one-fifth in English during the 2022-2023 school year—numbers that underscore the scope of the challenge.

For parents, the gap between policy promise and funded reality offers an important reminder: you don’t have to wait for school systems to catch up. Research on mathematical learning consistently shows that home-based intervention, delivered in consistent, bite-sized sessions, can be just as effective as school-based programs. Your child’s brain is remarkably capable of building new math skills when given the right kind of practice—and that practice can happen in your living room, on your timeline, with you as the guide.

Whether Ohio schools ultimately receive the funding they need remains to be seen. What’s certain is that every day of waiting is a day your child’s brain could be building stronger connections. The research is clear: consistent, targeted practice works. The question is who will provide it.

Every child deserves the chance to build strong math skills—and every parent deserves to know their child’s brain is fully capable of that growth. The research is unambiguous: targeted, consistent practice rewires neural pathways and builds mathematical thinking. Yet here we are again, watching a system that promises support but refuses to fund it, leaving families to navigate on their own. You don’t have to wait for bureaucratic inertia to catch up with your child’s potential. If you’re ready to stop waiting for a system that wasn’t designed for your child, the Learning Success All Access Program offers a free trial that includes a personalized Action Plan—and you keep that plan even if you decide it’s not the right fit.