Court Held Kentucky District Conducted Unlawful Search of Student Cell Phone
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati recently ruled that administrators at a Kentucky school district conducted an unlawful search of a student’s cell phone. The student, who was enrolled as an out-of-district student in the Owensboro Public School...
Alternative to Governor’s Education Plan Introduced in Senate
Earlier this month spreadsheets were released that showed anticipated funding for each school district under Governor Kasich’s budget proposal. These revealed that a majority of districts will not experience any increase in funding. Questions have arisen regarding how...
ODE seeks input on proposed revisions to IDEA
In case you missed it, below is a notice from ODE seeking input on what it should propose for revisions to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This should not be confused with the ongoing meetings being hosted by State Support Teams seeking input...
Jason Flatt Act Suicide Prevention Law Effective March 22, 2013
Governor John Kasich signed HB 543, also known as the “Jason Flatt Act,” into law on December 20, 2012. The bill, originally sponsored by the mother of a suicide victim, requires school districts to provide in service training in youth suicide awareness and prevention...
Changes to Student Growth Measures in HB 555
We have recently reported on House Bill 555 which was signed into law by Governor Kasich on December 20, 2012. Certain provisions of the Bill modify the method in which the value-added progress dimension or student academic growth measure must be used to evaluate...
New Ohio Law Aims to Protect Student Athletes from Head Injuries
Over the past several years increased attention has been paid to head injuries and concussions in sports. The NFL seems to capture most of the headlines in this area; however, head injuries can occur in any sport and at any level. Last week, Governor John Kasich...
Governor Signs New School District Grading System Into Law
Yesterday Governor John Kasich signed into law House Bill 555, which replaces the current academic performance rating system for school districts and individual buildings of districts. The new rating system will assign letter grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” for...
Organizational Meeting Tips
It’s the time of year when boards of education begin preparing for their annual organizational meetings. City, local, exempted village and JVS districts must hold their organizational meetings by January 15th. Educational Service Centers have until January 31st. ...
Pension Reform Legislation Makes Significant Changes to SERS and STRS
On September 26, the Ohio General Assembly enacted sweeping public pension reform legislation. The legislation consisted of a package of five bills, including Senate bills 341 and 342, affecting the School Employees Retirement System (SERS) and the State Teachers...