Ohio Attorney General releases opinion related to payment of education costs for students placed in residential facilities outside Ohio

On July 2, the Ohio Attorney General’s office (AG) released Opinion No. 2018-016, responding to the question of whether education costs for a child in custody of a public children services agency and placed in a private residential facility outside the state of Ohio is the responsibility of the board of education of the student’s home school district or of another public entity in Ohio.

Attendance, tuition and custody law resources

OSBA’s legal services division hosted its annual Attendance, Tuition and Custody Law Workshop today in Columbus.  This year, more than 170 school district EMIS professionals participated in an open and active discussion about a variety of topics. 

At the workshop, speakers shared information about resources that have been prepared by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). For those of you who weren’t able to attend the workshop today, here are links to some of those resources.

HB 410

College Credit Plus: what you need to know now

A new program for the 2015-16 school year, College Credit Plus (CC+) replaces the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program and most other existing dual enrollment programs.  While the first round of notice and application deadlines have passed for CC+, school responsibilities under the program span the entire school year.  School district administrators should be aware of the following:

Changes to withholding grades and credits

As of October 11, 2013, HB 14 has limited the circumstances in which a board of education may withhold the grades and credits of students who have failed to pay fees and charges. Under the newly amended provisions of RC 3313.642, boards of education are prohibited from withholding the grades, credits, official transcripts, diplomas, IEPs, or 504 plans of a student for the nonpayment of fees for materials used during the course of instruction if:

-a complaint has been filed in juvenile court alleging that a student is an abused, neglected, or dependent child; or

Can we withhold the grades of students who haven't paid their fees?

Yes. RC 3313.642 (D) allows a school board to charge students for instructional materials and for the loss, damage or destruction of school equipment, musical instruments, library materials, or textbooks. If a student who is required to pay fees refuses to pay any fees or charges he or she is assessed, the student's grades and credits may be withheld by the board until such payment is made.