Sidebar: Special Education Model Policies
In this week's Legal Ledger Sidebar, OSBA's Scott Gerfen and John Price discuss special education model policies.
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NOTE: This information is designed merely to inform and alert you of recent legal developments. This blog is not a substitute for competent legal counsel and readers should not act upon this information without legal advice. If legal advice is needed with respect to a specific factual situation, readers are encouraged to seek professional assistance.
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Suicide and Crisis Lifeline requirement
One of the bills enacted in the last general assembly requires school districts to make information about the telephone number for the national suicide and crisis lifeline available to students. The new law, Ohio Revised Code (RC) 3313.474, is effective on April 9, 2025. It requires that each district serving any of grades nine through 12 include the telephone number (988) in the following places, if they are used by the district:
Are domestic partners considered “family members” under Ohio Ethics Laws?
The Ohio Ethics Commission (OEC) recently weighed in on the application of the Ohio Ethics Law to public officials or employees participating in matters involving their domestic partners.
School safety training grants window open
One of the initiatives implemented by the Ohio General Assembly in the last term was the funding of school safety training grants. The funding is awarded to public and private schools by the Office of the Attorney General of Ohio (OhioAGO), in consultation with the Director of Education and Workforce and the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services. According to House Bill 33, the funds are available to make grants to schools and law enforcement agencies to support:
ODEW releases PBIS Tier 1 professional development modules
On February 11, the Ohio Department of Education released the Tier 1 Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Module Series.
Updates to released time courses in religious instruction
Back in August, OSBA’s Legal Ledger provided an overview of some of the more frequently asked questions we receive about released time for religious instruction.
Recent executive orders and communications
Recently, President Donald J. Trump has signed executive orders, and several federal agencies have issued communications, addressing various policy areas, including K-12 education. While executive orders primarily guide federal agencies, they often indicate broader policy priorities that may impact schools and educational institutions. Given that several recent orders impact the U.S. Department of Education or discuss K-12 education, we are providing a summary and links to these executive orders and communications.
Executive orders
Virtual board meetings? Wait a minute ...
One of the bills that was passed by the Ohio General Assembly at the end of 2024 was House Bill (HB) 257. The bill, which is effective on April 9, 2025, enacted Ohio Revised Code (RC) 121.221, which allows some public bodies to hold meetings by video conference or similar electronic technology. (For purposes of this blog post, I’ll refer to these meetings as “virtual meetings.”) However, as discussed below, this provision does not allow boards of education to conduct virtual meetings and may actually make virtual attendance at meetings more restrictive.
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear two school cases
Last Friday, the U.S.
General Assembly passes legislation impacting the provision of medications to students at school
The General Assembly passed a number of key new laws impacting school districts in its lame-duck session to round out 2024. OSBA will continue to push out information on these provisions and changes districts will need to make in the coming weeks and months. Two of these bills impact the administration of medication to students in schools and may require your district to update its policies and educate staff on the new language.