Board briefed on Ohio Senate Bill 104; administration to recommend policy changes Feb. 24

Legal counsel and the superintendent gave the board a detailed legal briefing Feb. 4 on recent state and federal developments affecting schools, focusing on Ohio Senate Bill 104 and related guidance.

Bill, the board’s legal counsel, told the board that Senate Bill 104 (signed by the governor and effective Feb. 25, 2025) requires multi‑occupancy restroom and changing facilities to be single‑sex based on a student’s biological sex as shown on a birth certificate, and also bars students of opposite biological sex from sharing overnight accommodations in school‑sponsored settings. Counsel said the statute contrasts with earlier federal guidance and recent rulemaking changes and that, because courts and federal administrative policy remain in flux, his office recommended following the Ohio law while litigation and federal rule challenges continue.

“Given the current legal mix, our safest place right now is to follow 104,” counsel said, noting the possible downstream consequences for teacher and administrator licensure and for district compliance obligations.

Superintendent Michael Sawyers told the board the administration will bring a policy recommendation to the board’s Feb. 24 meeting to align district policy with the new Ohio law. He said the change will affect operational practices the district previously used for overnight field trips and for certain restroom arrangements and that the district will notify families where the new law requires different practices. “This will come forth on your February 24 agenda,” Sawyers said.

Counsel and the superintendent also flagged House Bill 8 (the Parents’ Bill of Rights), which the administration said is scheduled to take effect July 1. That bill, the administration said, includes broad parental‑notification language; the district’s preliminary interpretation is that it may require notifying parents of “substantial changes” to a student’s mental, emotional or physical health supports — language that could encompass some matters involving gender identification. Counsel and administration said the statute’s definitions are not precise and that administrators should plan conservative practice until the law and guidance are clarified by courts or state regulation.

Administration said practical implications include: revising overnight‑trip room‑assignment procedures, updating any internal guidance that previously allowed parental waivers for shared rooms, and preparing parent communications about changes. Counsel added that districts across the state will make different governance choices; the superintendent stressed that the Board of Education must set local policy because administrators and teachers are licensed by the Ohio Department of Education and must follow board policy.

Ending: The board was briefed on legal options and the administration’s planned policy recommendation; the district said it will draft policy language and a family communication plan for the Feb. 24 board meeting and will continue to monitor litigation and federal guidance.