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Ohio Department of Health Updates Covid Reporting Expectations

March 12, 2022 On March 10, 2022, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) officially took action to rescind the September 3, 2020 Director’s Order Requiring Reporting and Notification Regarding Covid-19 Cases in  K-12 Schools effective at 12:01 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, 2022. As a result, schools now only must report positive […]

CDC Updates Transportation Masking Requirements

February 26, 2022 Effective Friday, February 25, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) will no longer require that masks be worn on buses or vans operated by public or private schools. This change is intended to align with the CDC’s updated guidance, which no longer recommends universal masking in K-12 settings in […]

New Contact Tracing Implications for School Districts

January 27, 2022  On January 26, 2022, the Ohio Department of Health issued a memo to local health departments and school superintendents on new requirements, effective immediately, for contact tracing and case investigation relating to COVID-19. The memo recommends that local health departments shift from universal contact tracing to a cluster or outbreak-based model. With […]

Ohio Federal Court Issues Preliminary Ruling Denying Challenge to District’s Mask Mandate

September 16, 2021  With students returning to in-person learning under the continuing backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates have become a contentious issue as lawsuits are being filed across the country, including locally. With Ohio’s state of emergency lifted in June 2021, and limited rulings from the courts on these issues, decisions related to […]

U.S. Department of Education Releases “Roadmap” to Return to In-Person Learning

August 3, 2021 On August 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) released the “Return to School Roadmap,” a resource to students, educators, school districts and parents in preparation for the return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. As schools begin to reopen nationwide, the roadmap is intended to serve as a […]

HB 110 Changes to Blended Learning

July 30, 2021 One of the many changes associated with Ohio’s Biennial Budget, House Bill (HB) 110, includes revisions to the statutes addressing implementation of a Blended Learning Model. It’s important to be aware of these changes, as they are likely to impact district plans for implementation of blended learning models during the 2021-22 school […]

CDC and State Department of Health Issue New COVID Guidance for Ohio School Districts

July 28, 2021  On July 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued this update recommending “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccinations status.” The update comes one day after the Ohio Department of Health (“ODH”) released this COVID-19 guidance for Ohio K-12 […]

HB 244 and COVID Considerations for the 2021 School Year

July 21, 2021 On July 14, 2021, Governor DeWine signed Ohio House Bill (HB) 244, which prohibits public school districts and state institutions of higher education from requiring an individual to receive a vaccine that has not been granted full United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Because existing COVID-19 vaccines are currently operating […]

Ohio H.B. 110 Allows for Creation of Online Learning Schools

July 12, 2021 On July 1, 2021, Governor DeWine signed H.B. 110, Ohio’s 2022-2023 biennial budget, into law, which allows local, city, exempted village and joint vocational school districts (“school districts”) to request to use an “online learning model” through the creation of an “online learning school.” Online learning is defined as a scenario where […]

Navigating ESSER Funds in an Ever-Changing COVID-19 Landscape

June 2, 2021 Although the pandemic is seemingly subsiding in the U.S., public school districts in Ohio still face the challenge of how to use multiple forms of pandemic-related government funding. Notably, the task of navigating the permissible uses of COVID-19 funds, and the procedures school districts must follow with respect to them, pose a […]

Governor DeWine Requires Schools to Continue Social Distancing and Mask Wearing

May 18, 2021 On May 12, 2021, Governor DeWine announced public health orders such as capacity limits, social distancing and the mask mandate will come to an end, with the exception of those for nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  The next day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that those who […]