In today's Legal Ledger, OSBA's division of legal services is introducing its new vlog, Sidebars, which will feature short conversations about legal issues frequently raised on the hotline and other topics. Today's Sidebar is a discussion between Sara and Jennie on executive sessions, which is a perennial hot topic. We'll cover the basics, delve into new case law, and provide practical guidance on how to manage executive sessions.
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On May 15, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) released an updated guidance document on districts’ obligations related to school prayer and religious expression at school by students and school employees. The guidance provides an overview of the constitutional landscape of school prayer and religious expression and reminds districts as to some of their administrative and…
Ohio is a compulsory attendance state with laws governing how districts should work with students and families to improve attendance. School attendance and engagement in learning are critical to success in school. Attendance and absentee prevention laws had a major overhaul a few years ago in the General Assembly and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) continues to provide resources to school district leaders about how to comply with those laws and encourage attendance. An…
Ohio law requires boards of education to record the proceedings of their meetings. This document, which is more commonly known as the “minutes” of a meeting, constitutes the official record of all board actions and serves an important role in providing key information to members of the public.
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June 1 is an important date for school districts in the Ohio Revised Code in the area of human resources and employee contracts. Specifically, June 1 is the deadline to take action if the board wishes to nonrenew the contracts of administrators other than the superintendent and treasurer. Given this rapidly approaching deadline, now is the time for boards of education in cooperation with the superintendent and other school leaders to begin planning for any possible nonrenewal actions.
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Earlier this week, the Auditor of State (AOS) issued a bulletin about auditing schools for compliance with the College Credit Plus (CCP) program. Effective with audits for the 2022-23 school year, AOS is requiring auditors to test schools for compliance with the CCP requirements in Ohio Revised Code (RC)…
Late yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new proposed regulation on Title IX and a related fact sheet. The proposed rule would affect the rights of transgender students to participate on athletic teams that align with their gender…
Last September, the Ohio School Boards Association issued a bulletin alerting school districts that the General Assembly had amended Ohio Revised Code (RC) 2915.092 to remove a school district’s ability to conduct raffles. The law was amended in Ohio House Bill (HB) 110, which removed the term “…
On April 6, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) may begin issuing two-year reinstatement licenses in accordance with HB 554, which was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2023. These licenses may be issued to educators whose associate or professional licenses or certificates have expired. According to the bill’s sponsors, the new licenses were…
