Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner is again pitching an idea that seems to have zero support in Columbus. Earlier this month, he spoke in support of Ohio Senate Bill 127, which would automatically close low-performing public schools.

Brenner, R-Delaware, told the state Senate Education Committee, “It is my hope that this bill will help to standardize the law surrounding school closures for public and community schools and help ensure that each student in Ohio receives the best education possible,” according to the Ohio Capital Journal.

For Brenner’s purposes, a low-performing school is one serving grades four and older, which has performed in the bottom 5% of public schools based on its Performance Index Score for three consecutive years, and in the bottom 10% based on its Value-Added Progress for three consecutive years.

When asked how many schools might be closed using such metrics, Brenner guessed it could be 180-185 schools across the state.

Rather than put together a fair and constitutional funding formula for Buckeye State public schools, or address what support is needed to help schools raise their performance; rather than take a hard look at the number of social services being demanded of our schools, in addition to education, Brenner believes the solution is to just shut them down?

We already know some of the state’s lower-performing schools are in regions that do not have the luxury of other educational options for many of these students. What do we do if their school is shut down? Bus them two counties away?

If Brenner is attempting to bring attention to the number of low-performing schools in the state, he’s late to the party.

“This bill leaves open many options, and so whatever option is probably in the best interest of the school district and those buildings and those students is what could be adopted,” Brenner said, according to the Capital Journal.

But as was the case when he attempted the same thing in the previous General Assembly, no one else is interested in the options Brenner has in mind. Let’s hope he doesn’t try again — and that he and anyone else so desperate to “do something” about Ohio’s public schools will focus next time on figuring out how to lift up these schools to give kids what they need, rather than shutting them down.