The Legal Ledger

As you start winding down the 2022 calendar year, keep in mind the following year-end dates and deadlines:

Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Education released updated guidance on blended learning plans, clarifying that blended learning is not be used on an emergency or contingent basis, such as for illness-related or weather-related building closures, parent-teacher conferences, professional development days, or staffing shortages.

Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and US Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) issued new resources for school districts.

Hiring substitute teachers

This past Wednesday, Oct. 19, was Global Ethics Day, meaning this is an ideal time to think about rules governing the compatibility of public offices. These situations arise when public officials like school board members wish to serve in other public roles while on the school board. By nature, school board members are often civic-minded and community-oriented individuals involved in different community or service ventures.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. On Oct. 4, the U.S.

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) has issued a reminder about the annual consolidated school report that each school district must file this autumn. The report for the 2021-22 school year is due by Nov. 30, 2022, and ODE has recently prepared instructions for districts to follow when filing it.

Ohio House Bill 583, which went into effect on Sept. 23, provides resources for tutoring students that are available to all districts in Ohio. These provisions are targeted at remediating learning losses that students experienced due to school building closures related to COVID-19.

In 2021, the Ohio General Assembly enacted the Safety and Violence Education Students (SAVE Students) Act. The Act included a variety of provisions on school security and youth suicide awareness education and training.

In June, Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill (HB) 99, which expands the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) and outlines training and public notice requirements for school districts that authorize individuals to go armed on school grounds. In anticipation of the bill’s effective date on Monday, Sept.

It’s the beginning of a new school year, and it’s a busy time for all district personnel, but it tends to be a particularly active time for special education personnel. The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year brings new students to your buildings, and current students are always growing and changing. It is thus critical for your district personnel to be ready to identify students who may need special education.