Ohios minimum wage increased to $7.30 on January 1, 2009. The increase applies to all employers that gross more than $267,000 per year, a category within which most, if not all Ohio public schools fall. Exempted from the increase are 14 and 15-year-old employees, who will continue to receive the federal minimum wage of $6.55 through July 24, 2009, at which time the federal rate will increase to $7.25 per hour. Also exempted are tipped employees, who receive $3.65 per hour, before tips. For more information, please contact the OSBA Legal Division.

The Ohio Supreme Court released an important decision in favor of Ohio school districts yesterday._ The case, Doe v. Marlington (2009), 2009-Ohio-1360, arose out of a tragic incident in which a young girl with special needs was sexually assaulted on the school bus by another student.

We're back from our brief technology-induced hiatus and, according to the calendar, it's almost time for financial disclosure statement filing. The Ohio Ethics Laws require certain public officials and employees to file annual financial disclosure statements with the Ohio Ethics Commission. The deadline to file the forms is April 15th. Who needs to file? All district treasurers, superintendents, and business managers must file the forms. School board members in districts with ADM in excess of 12,000 must file as well.

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Affordability Act of 1996 and its regulations contain a Privacy Rule that requires covered health care providers to keep health information confidential. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) covers students enrolled in elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools that receive federal funding. It requires school districts to keep confidential students' personally identifiable information other than directory information.