Under current law, school bus drivers and licensed educators in Ohio submit their fingerprints to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) as part of a background check that is a condition of their initial employment or licensure. In addition to submitting to these background checks, these employees are also enrolled in a system called the Retained Applicant Fingerprint Database (RAPBACK). This system stores the fingerprints captured as part of the background check…
Posted by John R. Price on
As we have written in the Legal Ledger in recent weeks, Ohio’s Budget Bill HB 33 was signed by Gov. DeWine on July 3. This week, we will take a look at changes to a program that will have significant implications for school districts: the expansion of the EdChoice Scholarship program into a universal school voucher program.
EdChoice scholarships—or vouchers—can be used by students to attend nonpublic schools of their…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
As the Legal Ledger noted in last week’s post, Am. Sub. House Bill 33 (HB 33), the biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2024-25, was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 3. There are numerous provisions in the bill that will affect Ohio…
Posted by Sara C. Clark on
On July 3, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law the state’s operating budget, Am. Sub. House Bill (H.B.) 33. …
Posted by John R. Price on
On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Groff v. Dejoy, 600 U.S. ___ (2023), that marks a notable shift in how courts will analyze religious discrimination claims, requiring employers to show that religious accommodations would constitute a “substantial burden in the overall context of [their] business” in order to deny them. The case involved an…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) released a new webpage to assist school districts to meet new health curriculum requirements in Ohio Revised Code (RC) 3313.60, enacted in Senate Bill (SB) 288.
The SB 288 amendments…
Posted by Sara C. Clark on
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division jointly released two fact sheets: …
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
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.
…
Posted by John R. Price on
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…
Posted by Jennifer A. Hardin on
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…