Cuyahoga Heights board hears sweeping first reading of HB96-driven policy changes

At the board's Nov. 5 meeting the superintendent delivered a first reading of a broad package of policy updates driven primarily by Ohio House Bill 96 and other recent legislation.

Key changes summarized for board members included a shift from a compliance‑driven truancy framework to a prevention focus on chronic absenteeism, with the superintendent telling the board, "An absence is an absence is an absence — it doesn't matter if it's excused." The policy changes require districts to count all absences toward chronic absenteeism metrics while retaining options for excusing students for makeup work.

Other notable items included a new requirement to permit weekly release time for religious instruction (with grade‑level participation caps), updates to Title IX/civil‑rights language to align with federal guidance, new or clarified drug‑and‑alcohol testing rules for non‑CDL van drivers, and transportation clarifications for nonroutine trips and chaperone responsibilities.

The superintendent also reviewed cybersecurity and digital‑accessibility requirements added or clarified by statute, including incident reporting timelines and a continuity plan the district has already implemented. Board members were told the district will not pay ransoms and that policies were being updated to match operational plans the IT team presented in September.

This was a first reading; the board will consider these items again at a subsequent meeting for possible approval after members review the proposed policy language.